How to Keep Your Passion Alive When Work Burns You Out (The Writer and Artist Story)

A Rabbi's Lesson That Changed My Perspective

Last week, during Rosh Hashanah services, our 29-year-old rabbi shared a story that hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned to my sister afterward and said, "That would be such a good podcast episode."

What he shared wasn't just religious wisdom - it was a profound insight about passion, work, and the dangerous trap that catches most of us in our twenties and beyond.

The Story of the Writer and the Artist

Here's the story that stopped me in my tracks:

A writer and an artist were a new couple, both completely enamored by their respective passions. Every day after work, they'd rush home to spend hours writing and creating art. They lived for these moments - the time when they could finally do what they loved.

Then they had a realization: If this is what we love to do, why aren't we doing it all the time? Why can't this be our actual careers?

So they made the leap. The writer became a copywriter. The artist became a graphic designer. Finally, their nine-to-five jobs became what they loved to do.

But here's where the story takes a dark turn.

Before, they used to run home from work, energized to write and paint. Now, when they got home from their passion-turned-careers, they were exhausted.

"I'm so tired," became the daily refrain. "I'll just sit on the couch and watch TV tonight."

One day became two days. Two days became a week. A week became a month. A month became a year.

The artist and writer had completely lost sight of their passion, why they loved it, and why they did it in the first place.

The Brutal Truth About Passion and Work

The lesson: When we're forced to do something, we become so much less interested in that thing.

Think about reading in school. When you were assigned a book, it felt like genuine torture. But when you pick up that same book for pleasure? It's suddenly enjoyable.

I experienced this firsthand recently. I read "The Outsiders" for fun and loved it. When I mentioned it to friends, they said, "Wait, you didn't read that for school? It was the worst!" But I enjoyed it because I chose to read it, not because I was forced to go chapter by chapter.

When interest becomes forced, it becomes less interesting.

The Adult Challenge: Making Time for What Matters

Here's the hardest part about being an adult: we have to find ways to make our passions work within the constraints of real life.

You're exhausted from long days. Your boss needs answers. Your inbox is overflowing. You have responsibilities, commitments, and barely enough time to do laundry, let alone pursue what excites you.

But here's what I've learned: There's only one way to do this wrong.

The Only Wrong Way to Handle Your Passion

The only way to fail is to neglect your passion completely.

• To give up on it entirely

• To let it slip out of your hands and never pick it back up

• To see it lying on the floor and step over it, walking away

• To ignore those moments when you feel the spark and let them burn out

Everything else? You're doing it right.

Why "5 Minutes a Day" Advice Doesn't Work for Everyone

I don't believe in the cookie-cutter "5-10 minutes a day" or "one hour daily" approach that every productivity guru preaches. Why? Because we all have different lives, schedules, and energy patterns.

When people ask how I make time for my podcast, I can't give them a neat formula. Some days I record at night when inspiration strikes. Other days I write notes during lunch breaks. Sometimes I brainstorm during my commute.

The key is finding what works for YOUR life, not copying someone else's system.

Finding Your Way: The Personal Approach

Your passion-pursuing strategy should look different from your friends, your siblings, your coworkers. It's supposed to be different because you have a unique:

• Work schedule

• Energy levels throughout the day

• Living situation

• Family commitments

• Financial pressures

• Personal preferences

What matters isn't following someone else's blueprint - it's finding the pockets in your day where you can catch those moments of magic and not let them burn out.

The Real Challenge: Calling BS on "No Time"

Let me be direct: If there's something you've been wanting to do, start, or learn, and you say you don't have time, I call BS.

I'm not saying you have unlimited time - I know you're busy, stressed, and pulled in multiple directions. But somewhere in your day, there are moments you could redirect toward what matters to you.

The question isn't whether you have time. The question is whether you're willing to find creative ways to make it work.

Practical Strategies for Keeping the Fire Alive

1. Catch the Spark Moments

Pay attention to when you feel energized about your passion. Maybe it's:

• First thing in the morning before checking emails

• During lunch breaks when your mind is clear

• Late at night when the house is quiet

• On weekends when you're not in work mode

Don't ignore these moments. Act on them, even if it's just for 10 minutes.

2. Stop Making It All-or-Nothing

You don't have to choose between "perfect consistency" and "complete abandonment." Missing a day doesn't mean you failed. Missing a week doesn't mean you should give up.

Progress isn't linear. Some weeks you'll have tons of energy for your passion. Other weeks, you'll barely think about it. Both are normal.

3. Redefine What "Counts"

Your passion doesn't always have to look like a finished product. Sometimes it's:

• Reading an article related to your interest

• Watching a tutorial while eating lunch

• Brainstorming ideas in your phone's notes app

• Having a conversation with someone about the topic

Engagement with your passion counts, even if you're not actively creating or producing.

4. Find Your Anti-Schedule

Instead of forcing a rigid schedule, identify when you naturally have energy and availability. Maybe you're:

• A morning person who thinks clearly before work

• Someone who gets creative energy after dinner

• A weekend warrior who batch-processes passion projects

• An opportunist who seizes random free moments

Work with your natural rhythms, not against them.

When Passion and Work Overlap: The Lucky Ones

If your job and passion align, you're incredibly fortunate. But this doesn't mean your work-passion is immune to burnout.

Even when you love what you do professionally, you might need to:

• Find different expressions of your passion outside work

• Maintain personal projects that feed your creativity

• Remember why you loved this thing before it became your career

• Protect some aspect of your passion from commercial pressures

Getting Back What You've Lost

Maybe you're reading this thinking, "I used to be passionate about something, but I lost it."

Here's the truth: You can get it back. The artist and writer in the story didn't have to stop creating just because they were doing it professionally. They lost sight of why they loved it in the first place.

If you've lost your passion:

1. Reconnect with the original joy - Why did you love this thing initially?

2. Start small - Don't pressure yourself to return at full intensity

3. Change the context - If work burned you out on writing, try journaling. If graphic design feels stale, try painting

4. Remove pressure - Do it for fun, not for results

5. Be patient - Passion can be rekindled, but it takes time

The Permission You're Looking For

You don't need permission to pursue your passion imperfectly.

You don't need:

• A perfect schedule

• Hours of free time

• Professional-level skills

• A clear end goal

• Anyone else's approval

You just need to start, in whatever way works for your life right now.

The Meaning-Making Connection

I derive the most purpose and meaning from moments when I'm working on my passion. Even when everything else feels chaotic or unfulfilling, those moments remind me who I am beyond my job title.

Your passion isn't just a hobby - it's a connection to yourself, your creativity, and what makes you feel alive.

A Different Way to Think About Success

Success isn't about turning your passion into your career (though that's great if it happens naturally).

Success is maintaining your connection to what excites you, regardless of whether it pays the bills.

Success is refusing to let the demands of adult life completely extinguish what makes you feel creative, engaged, and purposeful.

Today Could Be Your Day

If you've been wanting to start something and haven't found the time, maybe today's your day.

Not to make a grand plan or commit to a rigid schedule. Just to take one small action toward what interests you.

Maybe it's:

• Watching one tutorial

• Writing one paragraph

• Sketching one drawing

• Researching one aspect of your interest

• Texting a friend about an idea you've been having

The fire doesn't have to be blazing - it just needs to keep burning.

The Bottom Line

We're forced to find ways to keep the fire burning when we're exhausted, overwhelmed, and pulled in countless directions.

The only wrong way to handle your passion is to neglect it completely. Everything else - the imperfect timing, the sporadic engagement, the fits and starts - that's all part of being human.

Your way will look different from everyone else's, and that's exactly how it should be.

Don't let your passion burn out because there's no time to do it "right." There is no right way - there's only your way.

Struggling to find time for what matters to you? You're not alone. Listen to new episodes of Guyset every Tuesday on your favorite podcast platform for more real talk about balancing work, passion, and life in your twenties. Sign up for the weekly newsletter at guyset.com, email josh@guyset.com with your questions, or connect with us @theguyset on social media.

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