Tapdance To Work (Hobbies vs. Jobs)

Warren Buffett famously says he “tap dances to work.” He loves his job. It’s a thing worth aspiring to. 

It’s also a reminder to think of our chosen work as fitting these three things (because if it doesn’t fit them, it’s probably just a hobby):

1. We enjoy it so much that…

2. We know how to make a show out of it, and… 

3. Other’s want to pay to us to do it. 

If Buffett just wanted to read financial filings and invest quietly from the comfort of his home, he could. It’d be a good hobby, and possibly even a profitable one. 

But here’s the thing about hobbies: hobbies provide value for us. 

Work, or jobs, or professions – they provide value for someone else – too.

If we want to tap dance to and for work, we have to find something we like to do that somebody else wants us to provide. 

Make them both click, and be as happy as Warren with a box of See’s candy and a Cherry Coke. That’s the dream.

Ps. a question I’ve heard a lot is “how do differentiate between the thing I love and the thing I get paid for?” The closest answer I have is, “don’t.” If people will pay you for the thing you love, don’t feel bad about getting paid for it, just make sure the value you’re creating is greater than whatever you’re charging. The rest will take care of itself.