Stop Following Your Passion: Why Energy Is a Better Career Compass

“Follow your passion” is terrible advice.

I know—sounds a bit rich coming from someone who quit accounting for music therapy. But hear me out.

Passion fluctuates. Most people have more than one.

Energy, on the other hand, doesn’t lie.

Not the woo-woo kind of energy, but the what-energises-you-on-a-daily-basis kind of energy.

And designing your life around energy instead of passion can change everything.

The passion trap

I fell into it before.

I was desperately looking for my passion so I could leave accounting.

I thought if I found what I loved and pursued it relentlessly, the money would follow and I’d never work a day in my life.

It’s a trap.

Passion is like motivation—unreliable. It comes and goes. Some days you feel passionate. Some days you don’t. There will always be days that feel like chores and checking off boxes.

When that happens, you experience one of the worst feelings: self-doubt, regrets, and the need to find a new passion.

The cycle starts again.

What actually happened

I didn’t leave accounting for music therapy because I was “passionate” about music.

I left because accounting drained me. Completely. Every single day.

Music therapy, on the other hand, gave me energy. Even on hard days. Even through difficult sessions.

It wasn’t about passion. It was about energy alignment.

I had a burning desire to help people with their mental health using what I was good at. And there was nothing else I wanted to do—even if I won the lottery.

That’s not passion. That’s energy pointing the way.

It’s almost like a calling. A north star, guiding me consistently through life.

What I’ve noticed with others

I’ve had many conversations with fellow music therapists.

Most came to the field burnt out. Often from careers they were once “passionate” about.

Teaching. Healthcare. Creative work. Helping professions.

They followed their passion. Then hit the hard parts—the admin, the politics, the grind.

Passion faded. And it wasn’t enough to sustain them through those days.

The ones who stay

All the music therapist supervisors I encountered during placements had 10+ years of experience.

They must have figured something out.

Better energy management.

They’ve diversified their identity. They draw energy from multiple sources. They don’t rely on work to be their only fulfilment.

Work to live, not live to work.

Cal Newport was right

Cal Newport wrote So Good They Can’t Ignore You. Core argument: skills matter more than passion.

“Follow your passion” assumes passion comes first, skills follow.

Actually: skills come first. Competence creates satisfaction. Satisfaction feels like passion.

But it’s not passion driving you. It’s energy from doing something well. From growth. From impact.

I was good at my job as an accountant. But I didn’t feel satisfied or useful.

Now, the musical, therapeutic, and interpersonal skills I use in music therapy sessions give me energy. The kind that sustains me when passion wavers.

The shift

Stop asking: “What am I passionate about?”

Start tracking: “What gives me energy?”

Look for patterns.

What consistently energises you? Do more of that.

What consistently depletes you? Minimise, delegate, or redesign.

The permission

You don’t need to be passionate every day.

You just need to be energised enough to keep going.

Some days music therapy feels hard. I’m not “passionate” in those moments.

But it still gives me more energy than it takes.

That’s enough.

Follow your energy. It knows the way.