When Passion Becomes a Memory… What Do You Do? – Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies

One of the communities I belong to is the community of retired competitive dancers. Like most, I grew up spending countless hours practicing something I loved all for a certain moment, which in my case was dance competitions. It became my passion growing up. Most young adults my age grew up doing the same thing in different areas of interest. Some in sports training for a big game, others in theater rehearsing for the spotlight, the list goes on. What we all have in common is passion.

Photo of my competition dance team and I at a national dance competition. We performed a tap routine to music from the movie “The Greatest Showman”. Pictured here, us with our winning trophy and banner. All rights reserved.

What Is The Problem?

The problem this community faces, former pursuit individuals, is when it comes time to graduate high school, what do you do with the hobby of interest you spend so much time pursuing? Some continue, especially in college, like within dance, individuals will join dance teams. But, what about those that don’t go a professional route, but feel like an important piece of them is missing?

Why Is This Important?

Your passion almost becomes a part of you. For myself, dancing was something I took pride in and what I loved to do. It consumed a large portion of my young life and was the most important thing to me. I feel as though this can be true for many. Continuing an activity, you grew up doing after high school not on a competitive level can be challenging. Your motivation and drive you had before can be lost.

This is me on stage performing one of my solos in 2021. Taken by the Sheer Elite Competition photographer, all rights reserved.

Deconstructing The Problem

Burnout:

One of the causes of stopping a passion you used to strive for is simply burnout. I know for myself, I knew I loved to dance but didn’t know if it was something I wanted to keep doing once I got to college. I thought it would get in the way, and I was at the point where it was time to end my dancing years. I was just not feeling the creativity and drive I had for so many years. Sometimes you just need a break when you think you need to stop something you enjoy.

Many spend hours in an extracurricular activity, to which they describe it as a “full-time job”. Whatever it may be, you put in a ton of dedication and work into your craft, which can get to the point of exhaustion. For myself, I put my body through so much physical and mental distress day to day, for 14 years. Ever heard the saying “You put your blood, sweat, and tears into something”? That is how I would describe my time as a dancer.

In one episode of the Podcast, “The Professor Is In”, Kel (one of the Podcast hosts) talks about an article written by Brad Stulberg. It is entitled “Passion Paradox”, explaining how burnout is a result of what happens when you get too tied up in an obsessive passion. Even though the focus is on academics and careers, it still applies to burnout within extracurricular activities.

Ep 2:31 Burnout v. Passion

https://theprofessorisin.com/podcast/burnout-vs-passion/embed/#?secret=bjdWUYsO4h#?secret=KNDktObqtAPodcast by “The Professor Is In”.

The podcast also explains that you can’t control the outcome of your life… so micromanaging can lead to burnout.

I feel as though it should be mentioned that young adults who may be experiencing this form of burnout think that only them and their peers experience this. In the podcast one of the cohosts said they have professor friends who are experiencing burnout, not just students. I think young adults overlook this and just assume full grown adults have it figured out and don’t experience burnout. Honestly that is far from the truth. Everyone experiences burnout at least once in their life. So, actually these grown, established adults can be an outlet to these young minds, leading and relating them.

Being overworked is an element as well. Explained in the podcast, when you are being overworked you are not doing as good of a job, leaving you without the sense you are doing it well. No one wants to continue to do something they are not enjoying anymore. Although you can still have emotional attachment to said activity or thing.

Embarrassment:

Another element of the problem is embarrassment. So many young adults and students must face the time when the option for a competitive atmosphere is no longer available. It’s the time when you can really only participate in your desired activity for fun. No longer having that element of competition brings embarrassment. The only option for those not on a college sports team or something of that sort is recreational leagues or clubs. I feel there is almost a sense of shame in wanting to join something like this. Almost as if you have stepped down a few levels from where you left off. There is nothing for you to work for anymore.

The judgment from professional to nonprofessional is a factor in the embarrassment. Knowing that others were able to take their activity and advance it into a career can be discouraging for others, and make them think they aren’t good enough. Not everyone gets the opportunity to continue their sport or such on a competitive level past high school.

New Atmosphere

A component worth mentioning is that a struggle within this community is the unfamiliarity of a new atmosphere. Most of us get comfortable when we have been doing something for a long time. So, having to join a new group can turn people away. Change can be a struggle itself.

Leaving my studio was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The worst part was I wasn’t leaving because I wanted to, I was leaving because I had to. My friends and instructors at the dance were my second family. For myself, finding a new dance outlet has been a challenge because I want what I had before and I don’t know if a new dance environment can live up to what I want it to be.

Is It a Job? Or Is It For Fun?

Spending so much time in an activity can make it seem like it’s a job, as I mentioned under “Burnout”. We are put in activities from a young age in hopes we find something we enjoy. I feel most kids end up trying multiple sports and activities before sticking to one. There is this pressure parents put on their children to be involved in something outside of school or something extra through school. Most, are something that consists of competition. I have probably spent more hours in my extracurricular activities than I have in school growing up.

Video clip of me performing my jazz solo to “Call Me” by, Blondie. This shows the hard work I put into my routines and how challenging they were. Taken by the Sheer Elite Competition photographer, all rights reserved.

Does this stop the fun? Is this why people quit? These questions are difficult ones to answer. From my experience within the dance atmosphere, I had a mixture of both, sometimes one more than the other. There would be days I dreaded going to class because I was exhausted, hurt, overwhelmed, discouraged, etc. On other days, I was excited to learn new dances, work on skills, be with my friends, and so on. Sometimes I would cry, sometimes I would laugh. Sometimes I would come home bruised head to toe, and other times excited with a new costume. I wouldn’t call this a balance, it was more like a rollercoaster that never ends, with highs and lows.

In the Podcast I mentioned above, it explains how validation is a drive when it should be harmonious passion. Interesting to think about.

How Can We Fix This Problem?

To fix this problem of a temporary loss of passion, there are a couple of things we can do.

For starters, if you are attending college, it might be worth looking into clubs and sports, recreational and competitive. Even if you don’t start your first year, they will always be available. Even though I don’t dance right now, I joined the women’s club lacrosse team. It has given me a sense of belonging on campus and that I am part of something. Also, has given me of bit of that competitive atmosphere again.

Photo of me taking the draw at a lacrosse game. Taken by a student photographer, all rights reserved.

Another option outside of a college campus is taking classes of some sort or joining different kinds of leagues. The are many options out there, you just have to do some digging. Trying something new can be difficult, but in the end, it may surprise you just how much you like it.

The podcast explains this term ‘mastery’. In their context they relate it to the workforce after the pandemic, specifically for professors. That got me thinking… you are capable of mastering and figuring out what you want to do. It just takes some adjustment and time in your new phase of life. Having a postive attitude and making yourselve believe through affirmation you can and will figure this out is the motivate that will get you out of this problem.

Fitting your passion into adult life can be hard. New responsibilities and priorities emerge with adulthood. An activity you once considered as a “job”, is now nothing more than a hobby for most. A challenging transition to say the least. Just because your life may be entering a new chapter, doesn’t mean you don’t have the space or time for what you love. It will take some figuring out to find a balance that works for you. It is an inevitable phase we all must face.

In The End…

We must face this hardship. Coming up with a solution for all is something I am still working on. Passion is something that should never be left on the back burner. It is something that shapes us all. I don’t know where I would be today if it wasn’t for the over a decade-long experiences I have had within dance. It may be hard to give up what was once there before, but getting back into an activity in a new phase of life can be just what you need!