We continue our Dadly Daily Declaration series with readings from The Passion Paradox by authors Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. Stulberg and Madness aim to demystify passion and show readers how they can find and cultivate their passion, sustainably harness its power, and avoid its dangers.
Here are a few gems from today’s reading:
- In the early 1970s, psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan developed a concept called self-determination theory. Deci and Ryan found that, contrary to common wisdom (both then and, to a large extent, now), one’s drive to pursue activities is not predominantly reliant on external rewards like money, fame, or recognition. Rather, enduring motivation comes from satisfying three basic needs: competency, autonomy, and relatedness.
- Competency is about having a sense of control over the outcome of your efforts and the ability to make progress over time.
- Autonomy, also sometimes referred to as authenticity, is about acting in harmony with your innermost being.
- Relatedness: The final component of self-determination theory is one that binds us to others: the need to feel connected to and/or like you are a part of something larger.
- If an activity meets these needs, you’re exponentially more likely to enjoy it and stick with it. Satisfying these three needs is almost always required for enduring passion to take hold. Activities that fulfill these three basic needs are the ones we should throw ourselves into.
Those gems lead us to today’s Dadly Daily Declaration:
Finding your passion can feel like a long and winding path, but there is a road map to make the process easier:
- Resist the urge to assign too much importance to the initial excitement that comes with starting a new job, activity, or hobby. If you expect a perfect match from the outset, odds are, you’ll be let down.
- Pay special attention to activities that meet your three basic needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Meeting these needs is critical to sustaining the motivation required to turn an interest into a passion.
