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  • November 19, 2019
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

The Unexpected Benefits of Pursuing a Passion Outside of Work

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Joyce He and Julian Arango
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

We are often told to pursue work we’re passionate about. But, for many people, this simply isn’t feasible. Not every job affords the possibility of doing what you love. And people care deeply about many different things—not all of which will be how they want to earn a living. A growing body of research suggests that pursuing your passion does indeed improve well-being, but that where you do it is far less critical. In fact, several studies show that people who find joy in non-professional activities see benefits in both their careers and personal lives.

Keywords

Passion; Work; Health; Welfare; Satisfaction

Citation

Jachimowicz, Jon M., Joyce He, and Julian Arango. "The Unexpected Benefits of Pursuing a Passion Outside of Work." Harvard Business Review (website) (November 19, 2019).
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About The Author

Jon M. Jachimowicz

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • The Passionate Pygmalion Effect: Passionate Employees Attain Better Outcomes in Part Because of More Preferential Treatment by Others By: Ke Wang, Erica R. Bailey and Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Embracing Field Studies as a Tool for Learning By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Inequality in Researchers' Minds: Four Guiding Questions for Studying Subjective Perceptions of Economic Inequality By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Shai Davidai, Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, Barnabas Szaszi, Martin Day, Stephanie Tepper, L. Taylor Phillips, M. Usman Mirza, Nailya Ordabayeva and Oliver P. Hauser
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