Warren Buffett encouraged students to think about happiness from a more practical standpoint: None of us can live life all over again, but we can increase our overall happiness by choosing to make changes in our career, goals, finances, health, and relationships.
“The way to do it is to play out the game and do something you enjoy all your life,” he said. “Be associated with people you like. I only work with people I like. If I could make $100 million with a guy who causes my stomach to churn, I’d say no.”
There are plenty of good reasons why you should heed Buffett’s advice and do what you love, including:
1. More opportunities
People who do what they love are more open to opportunities and new experiences; they are willing to accept challenges and take risks, and when they fail, they are much more resilient and able to bounce back up when getting knocked down.
2. More alignment with the things you care about
When you do what you love, you create alignment between your work, values, and the things that bring you passion and purpose. This opens up new possibilities as you learn what matters most for your life and business.
3. More motivation, which leads to your success
Loving what you do makes you more motivated to put in more time to get work done — the kind of work you want to do, not feel obligated to do. Your desire to be more productive is intrinsic; it comes from a belief deep inside you that your hard efforts will make a difference for those you serve.