Passion vs. Skill: The Unvarnished Reality of Growth

In boxing, there’s a saying that when a novice faces a seasoned champion, it’s clear there are different levels of skill. With a level of naivety that rivals a newcomer’s belief in their abilities, I applied for numerous strength and conditioning positions that were far beyond my current skill set. I assumed my enthusiasm would stand out during interviews, and it did.

Yet, passion alone is not synonymous with skill. I once applied for a full-time position at a well-respected university and, to provide context, I’m still awaiting a response. Years later, I encountered the coach who did secure the role. He had two Olympic cycles under his belt working with Paralympic swimming while I had only interned with the GB Boxing team. In this field, it's evident that levels of expertise matter.

Your enthusiasm for your work serves as a basic selling point, similar to how boxers often claim they work hard. While dedication and passion can help you get your foot in the door, they don’t guarantee success.

Navigating Fulfillment, Finances, and Free Time

While passion fulfills one’s emotional needs, we must also consider the other important factors: finances and free time. The three F’s to contemplate are:

• Fulfillment
• Finance
• Free Time

My experience with GB Boxing allowed me to experience fulfillment but left my finances and free time in disarray. High-paying jobs, on the other hand, often provide financial security but restrict your leisure time.

Many individuals spend more hours at work than with their partners, making the advice to "follow your passion" tempting. However, if you lack control over the 4 Ts—Team, Task, Technique, and Time—your passion may turn into a source of frustration:

• Team: the people you work with
• Task: the nature of your work
• Technique: the methods you employ
• Time: your schedule

The one factor I couldn’t label with a T is location. Working with GB Boxing meant being based in Sheffield, far from friends, family, and my future partner. Even in a role I cherished, being confined to one place was disheartening.

The True Cost of Passion: Balancing Fulfillment and Finances

The three F framework exposes the actual costs associated with pursuing passion. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Fulfillment /10: A score of 10 indicates immense satisfaction, where time seems to disappear.
• Finance: A perfect score of 10 means your job supports your desired lifestyle; it doesn’t imply wealth, just that any salary increase doesn’t lead to increased expenses.
• Free Time: A score of 10 signifies the freedom to choose how to spend your days, contingent on financial stability.

Examining my scores across the three F’s illustrates the dangers of blindly following passion:

GB Boxing Role:

• Fulfillment: 10/10 — Witnessing athletes I worked with achieve Olympic and world titles was exhilarating.
• Finance: 1/10 — Despite the Olympic affiliation, I was an unpaid intern.
• Free Time: 2/10 — I often learned late Thursday night if I could return home to London on Friday.

P.E. Teaching Role:

• Fulfillment: 7/10 — Teaching kids boxing is rewarding, but it doesn’t afford control over the 4 Ts. If my role were solely about teaching boxing, I’d rate it a 10.
• Finance: 10/10 — Teachers may not earn millions, but compared to my initial £15,000 annual salary in strength and conditioning, it feels significantly better. My modest lifestyle likely contributes to this positive rating.
• Free Time: 7/10 — While term demands can be overwhelming, I know I’m never more than six weeks away from a break, and I can plan my academic year in advance.

The Illusion of Success: Survivorship Bias

Social media often showcases success stories of individuals who became wealthy doing what they love. However, how many tales do you come across about those who followed their passion but ended up with nothing?

This phenomenon is known as survivorship bias; only the winners make headlines while countless others go unnoticed. This bias might have led me to persist in pursuing a career in strength and conditioning.

Yet, I had limited finances and time, with no control over the 4 Ts. Although I still lack control over these elements in teaching, my overall score has significantly improved (from 13/30 to 24/30).

While my passion for strength and conditioning remains strong, the joy of traveling with my wife every six weeks outweighs the allure of telling others about my experience with Olympians.