8.15 Landon Donovan: Keep the Passion Alive

“That's a part that's always a challenge for athletes: trying to keep the passion alive while knowing it's still your job.” - Landon Donovan

How do you keep your love and passion for something while sacrificing and working as hard as it takes to be great at it?

Success requires a lot.

It requires a lot of time, energy, and effort. It requires so much, that the task of becoming great can steal the love and joy you have for it.

Think about it. You usually start doing something because you enjoy it. Then you want to do it more because you start to really like it. Then, you get good at it, and want to go from good to great.

But that transition is when it stops being fun for a lot of people and becomes a job.

Landon Donovan has scored as many goals as any man who has played soccer for our US Men’s National team. He once said, “That's a part that's always a challenge for athletes: trying to keep the passion alive while knowing it's still your job.”

How do you keep the passion alive?

Start by remembering why you started and the purpose behind why you work so hard, not just the results—finding small moments to celebrate, learn, and connect with why you started in the first place. Mixing challenge with gratitude keeps your work feeling like a calling, not just a job.

Question of the Day: How can you keep the passion alive while still working hard enough to be the best you can be?