A Healthy Level of Obsession
Have you noticed the one thing that your favourite photographers, artists, designers or writers possess? An obsession for their craft. Pure, unadulterated passion for creating, sharing and improving their work.
In most cases, these folks got to where they are now by obsessing over form, practice and persistence. I've used a few creative sectors as examples, but this ethos applies to absolutely everyone who has (or will) become well known for what they do.
Athletes, scientists, music and film producers, entrepreneurs and even YouTube presenters. They don't just half-arse their way to the top. They live for what they do. To me, this is truly fascinating. What differentiates most of us from the likes of Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci?
Obsession, when channelled positively, can help fuel persistence toward goals. It can serve as an emergency energy supply to persevere when most people’s gas tanks are depleted. Obsession can act as a compass—orienting daily mundane activities—to eat, breathe, and sleep positioned toward the object of obsession and ultimate goals.
Grit & Purpose
Another way of phrasing obsession, is grit. A trait that's strongly linked to success. In her book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, professor of psychology, Angela Duckworth explores this in great detail.
Without giving away too many spoilers, as you can imagine, the book's conclusion is that grittier people nearly always do well for themselves.
Work that brings purpose and meaning drives ongoing enthusiasm and determination. A crucial list of ingredients that will ultimately provide all the motivation required to continue doing (and enjoying) what you do.
Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you're willing to stay loyal to it...it's doing what you love, but not just falling in love―staying in love.
Passion & Enjoyment
Of course, all the grit and obsession in the world won't get you very far if you don't enjoy what you're doing. Finding your true passion isn't always easy. In fact, while the statistics vary, it's clear that the vast majority of people never figure out what they truly love doing.
Maybe these are the lucky ones. I don't know. It's certainly going to be a lot less stressful. Many studies also report that pursuing your passion is a completely absurd and terrible idea.
This, I guess, is fully subjective. Perhaps in terms of a career, I can somewhat agree. For example, if I were to try and make photography my main source of income, I'm fairly confident I'd be homeless within three months.
However, when it comes to hobbies and pastimes, you still need a reason to carry on. This is where obsession, grit, purpose and passion come into play.
When people are in their Element, they connect with something fundamental to their sense of identity, purpose, and well-being.
Become Obsessed
When we apply the above ideas to our own practice, it helps influence and direct your decisions. As your work consumes your thoughts, it also provides a much-needed break from any negative or anxious emotions.
A healthy level of obsession leads to increased focus, flow and motivation. When you tap into this energy, good things happen. Your work will improve, your mental health will benefit, and you'll be edging closer and closer to the next step-up in your creative journey.
