Don't Follow Your Heart and Passion When It Comes to Your Career

I still remember, back in my teenage years, working as a medical records clerk at Toa Payoh Hospital while waiting for my polytechnic enrollment after completing my GCE O-levels. This was my second job, and looking back, it remains one of the best experiences I've had—simply because of its simplicity.

 

At 48, I can confidently say that the office hours, weekday evenings to rest, and weekends off were a blessing. In the 90s, this was the kind of job that made family and friends proud—it was the "proper, normal" job they hoped for me. It was the kind of environment I truly fell in love with.
 

It wasn’t just the nature of the job; it was the daily routine—the quiet satisfaction of waking up, going to work, and returning home in the evenings. This stability was what I valued the most, and what I still crave today.
 

Fast forward to the present, and I find myself in the midst of a midlife crisis. I’m currently facing unemployment after years in the competitive and exhausting fitness industry, which I initially entered because of my passion. Back then, I loved fitness workouts. I thrived on the knowledge I gained from my instructor training in human anatomy and exercise physiology. I relished being on stage, leading group fitness classes.
 

But now, at 48, my body has changed. I have joint pain, my energy isn’t what it used to be, and I’m struggling to keep up with younger, more energetic peers. On top of that, my dislike for sales has held me back, and I’ve realized that the fitness industry is unstable and unforgiving.
 

I’ve watched old schoolmates earn salaries ranging from $4k to $10k, while the highest I ever earned was just over $2,000. And now, I’m left with a fraction of that, relying on savings, unsure of how I’ll survive the next day. The weight of it all has taken a toll on my mental health.
 

And yet, I can’t help but think back to those days at Toa Payoh Hospital. It feels like a lifetime ago, but that environment—office hours, evenings and weekends off—was the kind of stability I wanted. It's what I long for now, especially after years of hustle and burnout in the fitness world. In fact, there were other similar jobs I could have pursued after graduation, but I followed my passion for fitness, and now I’m regretting that decision.
 

So many people preach the idea of following your heart and passion when it comes to your career, but I can’t help but think this is terrible advice. In my experience, it's better to focus on the environment and conditions you want to work in. It’s not just about following your passion; it’s about finding the right circumstances where you feel content and secure.
 

"Follow your passion" is a mantra that doesn’t take into account the realities of life. Sometimes, stability, routine, and work-life balance matter more than pursuing a dream that might not be sustainable in the long run. So, my advice to anyone starting out: don’t just follow your heart. Think about the lifestyle you want to create and the environment that will nurture that. Because, at the end of the day, it’s the conditions that will make all the difference, not the passion alone.