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This is why the ‘p’ word (passion) is now trending in organisations. Companies are figuring out that having a whole lot of vacant bodies at work doesn’t do a great deal for productivity. These days the word passion is beginning to replace words like motivation and engagement. This is because awareness is growing that passionate staff – and that means from the floor to the CEO – are happier, work harder, and excel way beyond those who just want to get their bonus, get out and go to the pub.

For all our wonderful time-saving devices, there’s less time to enjoy our passions it seems. Apparently, the majority of people in the workforce are now working longer – 40 percent of full-time workers now do more than eight hours a day and one in five work more than 50 hours a week.

For all our wonderful time-saving devices, there’s less time to enjoy our passions it seems. Apparently, the majority of people in the workforce are now working longer – 40 percent of full-time workers now do more than eight hours a day and one in five work more than 50 hours a week. Certainly not a recipe for a passionate life. Large numbers of people are simply too tired to contemplate a life after work, let alone giving the best part of themselves to loved ones, family and friends. Neglecting one important area of your life can deeply affect the quality of other areas. A toxic relationship at home can affect your ability to relax and focus at work.The reverse is also true. Namely, wholeheartedly pursuing a passion that is important to you, (perhaps something neglected of late) can bring major changes to the whole landscape of your life. Doors open, the dust and mothballs are swept away, and new opportunities emerge, often in unexpected ways.

Do whatever you can to join that 12% who love what they do – either by finding ways to boost your passion in your present situation, or moving on to greener, more passionate pastures. Our response to the changes that life presents and that are part of the human experience, are greater managed through a deep connection with who we intrinsically are. Managing emotional energy is all about our ability to connect with ourselves and others, to be able to listen, have empathy and to adjust our responses accordingly. It is about recognising what you are feeling, listening to that, and responding to situations, rather than reacting.

Leaders and the people around them, cannot keep achieving new goals and inspiring others without understanding their own dreams and doing something about realising them. It is very difficult to be inspiring when you are feeling unfulfilled in your own life. So if you find yourself saying “I feel trapped,” “I’m bored,” “I’m not who I want to be,” “I can no longer compromise my ethics,” perhaps it’s time to take stock, take time out, reflect on your dreams, or work with a coach or mentor who can help you do that.

It can be easy to feel powerless, and difficult then to get in touch with what we really want because we don’t see a means of getting it. “There’s no time”, “I’m too tired” “nobody listens to me” comes the weary cry. This is why some people find it impossible to figure out what they really want. As soon as a desire emerges into consciousness, a doubt squashes it – “Forget it. It’s not possible.” So most people forget it. The result is a kind of ‘checking out’. My body is at work, or wherever I am, but the rest of me is back at home in bed or at the golf course.