Passion is key

“I can’t then, I have a meeting,” is a much too common phrase that comes out of my mouth. Being really involved on campus is a tiring thing, and sometimes you wish that you could just watch T.V. (after doing some homework, of course). Yet, I know myself, and that schedule would keep me entertained for maybe a week. After that, I would start thinking, This is a sad way to spend the day.

I find myself constantly telling people, “You do too much.” (Yes, I’m a hypocrite.) Some people are so involved that it’s almost like they never sleep (you know who you are), and you find yourself wondering how are they even functioning.

So the question is, if so many people are having this problem of being too busy and overworked, how come no one is doing anything about it?

Well, I don’t think that it is a problem, as long as you are passionate about the things that keep you busy — and as long as you are keeping up with your school work.

Being passionate increases your quality of work and how productive you are. If you have a packed schedule, you will be more likely to make good use of your time. Obviously, that isn’t always the case, but you live and learn.

I remember that in my freshman year, I had signed up for so many different clubs. I attended maybe five of those clubs. I was passionate about those clubs when I started, yet as time went by, I realized that I wasn’t getting what I wanted from those clubs and had to move on. That is okay. It’s alright if your passions change and you realize you don’t want to do something. The important thing is to actually take action and step away from that job, organization, etc.

Losing passion for something is normal; it doesn’t mean you don’t care about that organization. It merely means that it is time to move on.

So if you find yourself swamped with work, pause and take a look at what you are involved in. Do some of those things seem like a chore? (And no. I’m not talking about class work — the add/drop period is long over.) Do you find yourself excited to be doing what you’re doing? If you find yourself dreading activities, then you might want to consider doing something new.

I am coming up on my one year as Editor-in-Chief, and it is a thankless and frankly exhausting job. I definitely see the appeal of resigning before elections come around. However, sometimes all it takes is one person telling you, “In my opinion, The Stute has never been better,” and somehow all the work seems worth it and a new breath of inspiration is found.

So whether you need to find a new sense of admiration for what you’re doing or inspiration to try something new, take the time to have these conversations with yourself, because passion is key.