Imagine you’re sitting across from Steve Jobs in an interview. After reviewing your resume and talking about your accomplishments, he asks you this seemingly simple, yet deeply revealing question: “What would you do, even if you weren’t paid for it?”
This isn’t a typical question. It’s not looking for a concrete answer or the story you’ve prepared for interviews. Jobs often asked this question in his job interviews in the early years of Apple. Jobs wanted to know what sparked you, what moved you beyond money or title. He wanted to discover your true MOTIVATION, that passion that makes you get up in the morning with enthusiasm.
Steve Jobs understood something crucial: people who truly make a mark on the world are not those who only chase a paycheck at the end of the month, but those who work from their heart, people who love what they do. These people innovate, solve problems, and transform companies and organizations.
Asking ourselves, “What would I do, even if I weren’t paid for it?” It forces us to reflect deeply on our priorities, passions, and purpose. It pushes us to identify what fills us with satisfaction and meaning, regardless of external rewards.
Below, I share with you 5 QUESTIONS THAT CAN SURELY HELP YOU WITH THE CHALLENGE OF DISCOVERING YOUR PASSION.
- What activities give you energy and you are never tired of doing them?
- What activities make you lose track of time?
- What kind of actions do you long to do?
- What activities are aligned with your values?
- What tasks do you remember very positively?
Surely, thinking about these questions will give you clues on how to discover your authentic motivations. NOT ALL OF US CAN LEAVE OUR JOBS AND DEDICATE OURSELVES TO OUR PASSION IMMEDIATELY, BUT WE CAN TAKE SMALL STEPS:
- Dedicate time to activities that inspire us.
- Explore projects that reflect what we truly value.
- Connect our professional life with our internal motivations. The real magic happens when you find the intersection between what you love to do and what brings value to the world. That’s the point where your job stops being just a chore and becomes your purpose.
Surely, discovering your passion is not an easy challenge. As psychologist Abraham Maslow used to say, “It is not normal to know what we want. It is a strange and difficult psychological achievement.”
So you know, work on what you can, but don’t stop asking yourself: What would I do even if I wasn’t paid for it? Maybe there you will find the key to your next big step. Because, as Steve Jobs himself said,
“Loving what you do is the only way to do great work.”
