“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

It’s an inspiring thought, often spoken by those who’ve turned their passions into nine-to-fives. However, when you’re shoulder-deep in a demanding seven-week passion project, I’ve found that what you love can feel a lot more like hard work than enjoyment. 

There’s a fine line between passion and pressure, and the risk of burnout becomes very real when that line is blurred. So, how are you supposed to keep the commitment alive without burning out?

Reclaiming My Own Productivity

Passion is shown to be associated with positive outcomes, whether it’s stress reduction, increased productivity, or professional growth. But, according to recent research from the Harvard Business Review, feeling passionate can also come at a cost, eventually leading to exhaustion and burnout (Bredehorst et al., 2023).

These positive outcomes were exactly what I felt when first starting my passion project, Moment in Matchbook. It was time consuming, but incredibly rewarding to turn hours of research into engaging social media posts. I even developed a new routine to maintain my productivity. For the first few weeks, I felt unstoppable.

Now, as I wrap up week six and head into the final stretch of my social media campaign, I’m starting to feel like I’ve exhausted my topic, and finding the motivation to keep going is getting tough. I know falling behind or quitting isn’t an option, so I’m trying out healthy solutions to get myself in the right mindset to finish strong.

Per Edward Ellison, a medical doctor and co-CEO of The Permanente Federation, “if you are so inspired to do what you do, then you’re not necessarily good at setting boundaries. We need to teach people that setting boundaries is OK. It’s not selfish. It’s actually selfless. It allows you to be more effective at what you do, and to better [help] those you wish to serve” (Moss, 2019).

So, to serve my professional growth and do this project justice, I’ve set these boundaries:

• I’ve adjusted my Trello plan based on my project and personal well-being priorities, incorporating focused work sessions and scheduled breaks
• I’ve limited my screen time during well-being breaks to allow for both recovery and non-work related activities
• I’ve increased my daily step count to enhance my physical and mental well-being and improve cognitive function (check out this article for insights on how exercise can boost work performance
• Regardless of how much I’ve accomplished during a scheduled evening work session, I put all my materials away by 7 pm to maintain a clear separation between work and personal time

I’ll report back next week on how these boundaries are impacting my productivity. I have a few more ideas to explore, but I believe these four will lay a strong foundation for future improvements.

Week 6 Content & Final Thoughts

As usual, here are a few artifacts from my weekly content contributions, made possible by my newfound appreciation for boundaries.

Platform Mockups

Production Journal

Social Media Post

In the end, balancing passion with practicality is key to sustaining productivity and avoiding burnout. By setting clear boundaries and prioritizing both project goals and personal well-being, I’m finding a healthier and more effective approach to my work. I’m optimistic about their impact on both my current project and future endeavors.

Stay tuned for more updates on my project!

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Works Cited

Bredehorst, J., Krautter, K., Meuris, J., & Jachimowicz, J. M. (2023, May 17). Don’t let passion lead to burnout on your team. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/05/dont-let-passion-lead-to-burnout-on-your-team

Cheng, B. H., & Li, Y. N. (2023, May 30). To improve your work performance, get some exercise. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/05/to-improve-your-work-performance-get-some-exercise

Moss, J. (2019, July 1). When passion leads to burnout. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2019/07/when-passion-leads-to-burnout