Do what you’re built for, not what you love.

It’s often said that if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. I say, that if you really want to put yourself in the best situation to succeed, you should do what you’re built for, not necessarily what you love.

I’m doing what I’m “built for,” or good at, because I have chosen a career path that plays to my ADD superpowers and avoids weaknesses. If you have ADD, you’re not very good at rules. I’m not meant to sit in an office and read a 50 page contract from an attorney. I love numbers and financials, but I’m not built to be an accountant who sits in a cubicle all day.

Instead, my ADD allows me to excel in other areas. I’m good at interacting with and motivating teams, and I’m good at thinking about how to make things better, faster and more efficient. ADD makes for a great entrepreneur personality type; people with ADD are “built” to be entrepreneurs.

Doing what you’re built for means identifying these types of strengths in yourself. It’s about becoming self-aware, and learning to separate what you like doing versus what your talents are. I am by no means saying to give up what you love entirely, but don’t waste your time trying to make something you’re not built for, a viable career path.

If you do what you’re skilled at and play to your strengths, you are setting yourself up for success. Focus on what you’re built for, and hopefully if you’re doing something you’re good at, you’ll end up loving it anyway.

Are you in a career you were built for? Or that you’re built for and love? I’d be interested in hearing about your comments, let’s chat on Facebook.

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