The Danger of Chasing Passion Alone in a Career: What High Performers Need to Know
The Myth of “Follow Your Passion”
We’ve all been told the same story: “Just follow your passion, and everything will work out.”
It sounds romantic, but for many high performers in Singapore considering a career switch, it can also be the fastest way to disappointment.
As a career coach in Singapore:, I’ve worked with many driven professionals who left stable, well-paying jobs to pursue their passions — only to find themselves overwhelmed, confused, and second-guessing their decisions months later.
Why? Because passion, on its own, isn’t a strategy.
Why “Just Follow Your Passion” is a Risky Career Strategy
I get why people love this phrase. Passion feels energizing. It makes you dream bigger and imagine a new path.
But here’s the catch: passion without skills, market demand, or strategy only takes you so far.
I’ve coached high performers who left stable six-figure jobs believing passion alone would fix everything — only to find themselves unhappy again six months later. They’d simply swapped one version of “success” for another, checking different boxes but still missing the ones that truly mattered.
Here’s what happens when passion is the only plan:
You feel like a beginner again. All the authority and experience you’ve built suddenly feels irrelevant. Confidence takes a hit.
Money stress creeps in. Instead of feeling free, you feel pressured.
Turning it into a job adds stress to something you otherwise loved. And now what you loved is starting to feel like a chore.
If this sounds familiar, here’s the truth: the problem isn’t you — it’s the myth you were sold.
The Mid-Career Myth: “I Don’t Have a Passion”
Here’s another truth that rarely gets said out loud: many mid-career professionals in Singapore don’t have one single, burning passion — and that’s completely normal.
After years of focusing on performance, stability, and family, your sense of identity often becomes tied to your career success, not your curiosity. So when people say “just follow your passion,” it feels frustrating — because what if you don’t even know what that is anymore?
Others do know what they love — but they can’t turn it into a sustainable career. There’s either no demand, too much competition, or too little financial stability.
That doesn’t mean you’ve lost your spark. It simply means passion, on its own, isn’t enough. What you’re actually missing isn’t clarity of passion — it’s clarity of direction.
And that’s where purpose comes in.
Don’t Wait to Find Your Passion — Build It Through Mastery
So if passion feels distant or uncertain right now, that’s not a problem — it’s your starting point.
Most people think passion has to strike like lightning. But in reality, passion grows from mastery — from doing something well enough that it becomes meaningful.
Think about your first job. You probably didn’t love it right away. But as you got better, as you built confidence and saw the results of your work, you started to care more. That’s how real passion forms — through competence, confidence, and contribution.
How to Build Passion Through Mastery
Start with curiosity, not clarity.
Identify a skill, project, or problem that challenges you — something that makes you want to improve. As you develop mastery, the satisfaction of progress often turns into the passion you were searching for all along.
This mindset shift is what separates people who chase passion from those who create purpose.
When Passion Is Better Left as a Hobby
Another truth many overlook: not every passion needs to become your profession.
When you monetise something you love, it can change your relationship with it. The joy of creating can turn into the pressure to perform.
Take me, for example. I love baking — it’s how I unwind and show appreciation to the people I love. But if I turned it into a bakery, it would feel completely different. The stress of managing customers, suppliers, and finances would take away the calm and creativity I get from it.
Some passions are sacred. They’re meant to nourish you, not pay your bills. And that’s perfectly okay.
My Story: What I Learned the Hard Way
Years ago, I chased passion blindly. I took an 80% pay cut to leave Wall Street for a fashion startup, convinced that passion would make me happier.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
I felt lost, financially strained, and ironically — less fulfilled than before. That experience taught me that passion can be a spark, but it’s not the fire that sustains you. Without purpose and direction, it burns out fast.
From Passion to Purpose: The Missing Ingredient
So what’s the alternative?
It’s not to abandon passion — it’s to pair it with purpose.
Passion is about you — what excites you.
Purpose is about others — the impact you create.
Passion gives you energy. Purpose gives you endurance
And so what fuels me now is purpose. Running Ctrl Alt Career isn’t just about “doing what I’m passionate about'.” It’s about helping people redefine success, build confidence, and design work that actually fits their lives. It’s about helping people redefine success, build confidence, and design work that actually fits their lives. That’s bigger than passion. That's a contribution.
How to Build a Purpose-Driven Career in Singapore (That Lasts Longer Than Passion)
If passion is fuel, purpose is the GPS. Passion gives you momentum, but purpose gives you direction — and that’s what sustains a fulfilling career over the long term.
Purpose isn’t just about loving what you do. It’s about understanding:
How your work makes an impact
How it aligns with your values and goals
How it supports the lifestyle and stability you want
For high performers in Singapore, building a purpose-driven career means finding the balance between:
What you’re good at
What the market rewards
What feels meaningful to you
That’s your career sweet spot — where growth, meaning, and sustainability intersect.
You don’t need to feel passionate every single day. But you should feel proud of where your career is taking you. Passion fades and changes. Purpose evolves with you.
Ready to Build A Career With Purpose?
If you’re a high performer in Singapore thinking about a career change, don’t fall into the “just follow your passion” trap.
At Ctrl Alt Career, our team of career coaches help professionals create career development plans rooted in both purpose and strengths — so your next move is exciting and sustainable.
📚 Recommended Resources for You:
Free Masterclass: How to Pivot from your “Perfect on Paper” Job into a “Perfect for You” Career
Free Career Pivot Guide: 3 Actionable Steps to Figure Out Your Dream Career
👉 Book a free clarity call with me today. Let’s make sure your career switch isn’t just passionate — but purposeful.
FAQs About Career Change in Singapore
-
It’s not about choosing one over the other — it’s about integrating both. Passion gives you energy, but purpose and structure give you direction and stability. If you build your career solely on passion, it can fade or even become stressful when money enters the equation. But if you chase financial stability without meaning, you risk burnout and emptiness. The goal is to find your career sweet spot — where what you’re good at, what the market rewards, and what feels meaningful to you intersect. That’s where fulfillment and financial stability can truly coexist.
-
Absolutely. You don’t have to love every task to build a fulfilling career. Purpose often comes from the impact of your work, not the daily activities. You might not be passionate about meetings or reports, but if you believe in the outcome your work creates — that's the purpose in action.
-
Test it first. Before leaving your current job, try low-risk ways to validate your interest: take a short course, launch a small project, speak to people in the field. A career switch should be grounded in both passion and practicality — and a career coach can help you assess whether your idea has long-term potential and how to position yourself competitively.
-
Start by identifying three things: what you’re good at, what energizes you, and what the world needs (and pays for). Where those three overlap is your sweet spot. From there, build clarity around your values, strengths, and long-term goals. This is where a career coach in Singapore can help you connect the dots and create a strategic plan that aligns passion with purpose.