Dedication and Devotion Will Get You Farther Than Passion Ever Will

While the spark of passion helps fuel momentum, it is the act of showing up, day after day, that creates the healthy habits required for continual growth.

This can be said for your work, for your relationships, for your physical health — really, any area of your life that is evolving.

Take marriage for example. Passion is what initially attracts you to your partner, but a long, lasting marriage is built on respect and time. In other words, on dedication and devotion. When things get tough, when life changes, when priorities shift, when something unexpected happens, passion will be the reactionary response. It will be the one quick to flame up. Devotion will persevere through, finding reason and meaning.

Take a project you’re working on. Passion gets your wheels turning and allows excitement to happen, but it is your devotion to the work — when it gets hard, when you’re not motivated, when you haven’t had enough sleep, when you feel like quitting — that will drive you to succeed.

Devotion and dedication, however, is a muscle shaped over time. Again, it’s the act of showing up consistently, in all areas of your life. It’s the act of creating healthy habits.

Habits are important because they shape you into your best self, giving you the discipline required to advance and to make space for the things that matter in your life. Habits create neurological cravings, so it’s important to direct those cravings towards the life you desire, so that in turn, your actions follow suit.

Take the people that wake up at 5am everyday. It’s not because they are necessarily morning people or have a deep desire to be up before the sun. They are devoted to their work, so they want to wake up early and cross items off of their to-do list, so that maybe later on in the day they have more time to spend with their families. Or to exercise. Or to connect with friends. They have committed to waking up early everyday and showing up at their desk to do the work. This discipline, repeated over time, creates a habit. This habit, now deeply ingrained into their daily routine, allows them to be more focused, work more efficiently and get more done in the day.

Imagine your dream life. What do some areas of that dream life look like? Is it to travel? Is to work on a specific project? Is it to have a healthy and loving family? Is it to be strong and fit? Now ask yourself — how do your habits mirror that desire?

Approach all areas of your life with devotion and dedication, rather than passion, and watch how over time you will advance. You will become stronger physically because you have showed up for yourself and made physical health a priority and a habit. Your relationships will be stronger because you have dedicated time to connect on a deeper level, or because you have decided to show up for each other through whatever life throws at you. Your work will advance because you’re focused and efficient.

While passion is a great igniter, it is the act of devotion that will give you the stamina for long-term growth and success.

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