I was chatting with the professor of a local college a few weeks ago. She was gushing about her travel plans to see one of our idols, Chris Brogan, at a marketing conference.

“It’s my gift to myself for getting through the semester,” she told me.

Her comment stuck with me long after the workshop. Most people spend their vacations sunbathing on the beach, or camping in the mountains. The whole point is to get away from work.

Then again, most people aren’t living their dreams.

Kathy, meanwhile, was spending her vacation getting into work. Sure, she needed a change of scenery. She was probably happy to get away from the daily grind.

But in the end, she was getting an education. Making valuable connections. Furthering her career.

Living Your Passion is Crucial to Success

Success takes work. Ten years of work, according to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers: The Story of Success.

People who love what they do make small choices every day to pursue that passion. They read books on the topic. They talk about it with others. Like Kathy, they use their vacation time to attend seminars and workshops.

These hours add up. And when you compare the experience and education of people who love what they do with people who work just to collect a paycheck, the passionate people come out on top.

The Takeaway?

If you’re already pursuing your dream, congrats! You’re probably one of those super-driven people who often feels guilty for not doing more. Give yourself a break. If you’re truly passionate about what you do, you’re probably putting in way more hours than you think you are.

If you’re not yet living your dream, don’t listen to the voices saying that sticking with your day job is the practical choice … that it’s the more lucrative choice. Because if you don’t like what you do, you’re going to avoid doing it. And you won’t be giving yourself the opportunity for success that you so greatly deserve.

Is that cheesy? Trite? I often get sick of seeing all the  blogs, newsletters and books demanding that you “Do What You Love!” (As if it was easy. Yeah, right.)

But sometimes my inner voices need a logical argument to calm them down, and convince them that I’m doing the right thing by going against the grain. So reminding myself of this stuff helps. I hope it helps you, too.