How INFJs Can Turn Passion Into Success

“Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.” -Chuck Close

As idealists, we often feel like we need inspiration in order to accomplish something great. Unfortunately, moments of inspiration are usually few and far between. I try to maintain a normal posting schedule with this blog, and I did pretty well for awhile. Then I started making excuses for why I wasn’t posting twice a week: I was busy, it was the holidays, I needed to do more research, etc. All of that may have been true, but I had committed to myself and my followers that I would post twice a week, and not doing so meant I was failing to keep an important commitment.

Inspiration is a crucial part of the creative process, but it’s not solely what makes someone successful. Any creative who relies on moments of inspiration to fuel their work will end up disappointed. If your creative pursuits are a side hobby, maybe that’s not such a big deal. However, if you dream of finding success doing what you love, there are a couple of other key factors.

For me, one of the coolest parts about running a blog is the analytics. I like to see how each post performs and use that information to figure out what topics readers are most interested in. What I found interesting is that the articles I wrote in moments of inspiration don’t necessarily do better than those I wrote because I was sticking to a regular posting schedule.

The truth is, while inspiration may fuel our motivation, it’s nothing compared to talent. And in the world we live in, talent and inspiration alone won’t always get you very far. There’s one other factor that is perhaps the most important of all — hard work. The harder you work and the more you are willing to put yourself out there, the more likely you will find success in anything you do.

Think of it like losing weight — if you only diet and exercise for a week, then quit for a month, then get back to it for another few days, etc. it’s going to take you forever to reach your goals. But if you make an effort to eat right and work out every single day, you’ll shed the pounds in no time.

It’s exactly the same with any work you do. If you really love something, like really feel passionate about it, then work towards it every single day. Even on days you don’t want to because you won’t always want to. You’ll face rejection. You’ll deal with self-doubt. Keep doing it anyways. And not because you expect it to make you famous or powerful, but because it’s what you love and what makes you happy.

At the end of the day, success looks a lot like happiness anyways.

About The Author

Megan

Megan is an introvert and INFJ personality type who enjoys reading, researching, and writing about personality psychology and human behavior. As the founder of this blog, Megan wants to help other INFJs better understand their personality to improve their personal and professional lives.

6 COMMENTS

  1. pearlgirl | 10th Jan 15

    This is great! I struggle with motivation sometimes, but it’s a really important reminder to stick to things that matter. Thank you! 🙂

  2. Alex Willging | 10th Jan 15

    It’s funny how, for years, I wanted nothing more than to work as a writer. What I didn’t expect was that I’d have to be up against deadlines, rewrites, and long hours working on content that didn’t interest me for the sake of my clients. But like you said, the more hours of hard work you put in, the more successful you become.

    • Megan | 11th Jan 15

      Yep. No matter how much we enjoy something, there are always going to be not-so-fun things associated with it if we’re doing it in order to be successful. But if it’s something we’re passionate about, that just makes getting over those obstacles even more rewarding.

  3. Kristen Beebe | 11th Jan 15

    Reblogged this on Adventures of a Wandering Mind and commented:
    I needed this today. As I knew would inevitably happen, I’ve been terrible about writing in my blog recently, and I really want to stay consistent. When I’m really busy (or even when I’m not so busy), it can be difficult to find inspiration to do what I know is good for me. Planning ahead for my lessons that I have to teach, or cooking meals so I don’t have to eat something overpriced and unhealthy on the run, or writing in my blog because I know writing is good for me: all of these are things that I don’t often have inspiration or motivation for. It really does all come down to forcing myself to do what I know is good for me even when I don’t want to do it at the time.

    I like this quote: “The truth is, while inspiration may fuel our motivation, it’s nothing compared to talent. And in the world we live in, talent and inspiration alone won’t always get you very far. There’s one other factor that is perhaps the most important of all — hard work. The harder you work and the more you are willing to put yourself out there, the more likely you will find success in anything you do.” Although I mostly blog because I enjoy expressing myself through the written word, I think I have a bit of talent for it also. But it’s really hard work that pays off in the end, more than talent and definitely more than the ever-passing “inspiration” that always seems to wear off after a few weeks.

    I’m hoping to continue posting real entries, not just reblogs, but we’ll see if I can put in the hard work necessary to get the words out there.

    What gives you inspiration to write or do what you know is best for you?

  4. content2b | 13th Jan 15

    This is something I have been learning slowly. I’m the one who feels life life is meaningless if I have gone too long without an inspiring moment. But I’m learning to soldier on. I’m also learning to make use of my journals. I write a lot in my personal journal when I’m inspired. When I’m not feeling as inspired, I read thoughts form a day when I was, and it often helps spark my mojo just enough to get me going again. I’m getting more serious about my writing, so this blog was ideal. Thanks!

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