Why Passion Takes Time: My Journey to Loving What I Do

When I reflect on my time at university, one truth stands out: I didn’t fall in love with my degree and my work until the very last year. I was pursuing a 4-year engineering degree and my experience was more about getting through it than truly enjoying it. The decision to study engineering wasn’t out of passion —it was heavily influenced by family pressures to choose a “safe” and “traditional” career path.

But everything changed in my final year. That’s when I found myself truly enjoying projects that made me excited to show up. Developing a space drone and designing innovative footwear the energy in work I hadn’t felt before. For the first time, I truly loved the work I was doing. It was then I realised a life-changing truth: passion isn’t always something you’re born with or stumble upon—it’s something you can grow into.

Image from UC San Diego

The Myth of “Finding” Passion

We’ve all heard it: find your passion and follow it. It’s a message romanticised in countless motivational speeches and social media posts. While it’s an inspiring idea, it often paints an unrealistic picture of what passion looks like.

The way it’s often framed, passion is supposed to hit you like a bolt of lightning. You’ll just “know” when you’ve found it, and from that moment on, you’ll be energised and fulfilled by everything you do. It’s finding that spark and your life is completely changed the next day. But for many of us, that’s simply not the case.

What happens when you don’t feel that spark right away? The pressure to “find your passion” can leave you feeling like you’re falling behind or failing at life. You might struggle to constantly to keep searching for that ‘spark’. This narrative neglects a vital truth: passion isn’t always instant. It’s often slow-burning, taking time and effort to grow.

My Journey to Cultivating Passion

To be honest, I never saw myself completing an engineering degree, let alone a second Masters degree in Engineering. In high school, Physics wasn’t just my least favourite subject—it was a big struggle. I even failed a module and had to retake it the next year. At that time, I couldn’t imagine pursuing a field remotely related to Physics, let alone thriving in it.

Fast forward a few years, here I am: fully immersed in Clinical Engineering, a field that challenges me every day. How did I get from there to here? Not a sudden epiphany but through persistence, and exploration.

By the time I reached university, I didn’t expect to feel a strong connection to my studies. But I kept showing up, doing the work, and trying to stay open to new experiences. It wasn’t until my final year, when I was working on the space drone, shoe design and surgery templating projects, that something clicked. The more I engaged, the more I realised how much I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing.

That’s when I learned that passion can be cultivated, even in places where it didn’t initially exist.

Why Cultivating Passion Matters

The idea that passion is cultivated rather than found is a game-changer. It removes the pressure to have everything figured out from the start. It also opens up the possibility of finding joy in unexpected places.

Cultivating passion means allowing yourself time to grow into your work. It’s about leaning into curiosity, embracing challenges, and giving yourself grace when things don’t feel perfect right away. If I had given up on engineering in my earlier years because it didn’t feel like my “calling,” I would have missed out on the deep satisfaction I feel today.

Actionable Tips to Cultivate Passion

1. Embrace Curiosity:
   Instead of waiting for a spark, follow your curiosity. Explore different aspects of your field, take on side projects, or dive into topics that interest you—even if they seem unrelated at first. Curiosity often leads to unexpected passions.

2. Focus on Growth, Not Perfection:
   Don’t worry if you’re not instantly great at something. Growth takes time, and passion often develops as you become more skilled. Celebrate small wins and use setbacks as learning opportunities.

3. Seek Meaning in What You Do:
   Sometimes passion comes from understanding the why behind your work. Ask yourself: How does this give back to others? What impact does it have? Finding meaning can turn even mundane tasks into purposeful work.

4. Stay Open to Change:
   Passion isn’t static—it evolves as you grow. Be open to exploring new paths, even if they take you in unexpected directions. What excites you today might be different from what excites you a year from now, and that’s okay.

5. Surround Yourself with Passionate People:
   Energy is contagious. Spend time with people who love what they do, and let their enthusiasm inspire you. Collaborating with others who are passionate can spark new interests and deepen your connection to your work.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been searching for your passion and feeling stuck, take a deep breath. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Passion isn’t always a lightning bolt—it can be a seed you nurture over time.

Stay curious, give yourself grace, and keep moving forward. The path to passion is often a winding road, but trust me, it’s worth the journey.