Discover your passion, pursue it wholeheartedly, and you’ll find that work no longer feels like work.
This seemingly idyllic notion, however, isn’t as straightforward as it sounds, according to Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. During his commencement address at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Cook remarked, “There’s a popular saying that claims if you follow your passion, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
“At Apple, I came to realize that’s a complete misconception,” Tim Cook asserted.
Rather, when you discover a job that ignites your passion, you’ll indeed put in hard work, but it won’t feel burdensome, according to Cook.
“You’ll invest more effort than you ever imagined possible, yet the tools you employ will feel weightless in your hands,” Cook emphasized.
Cook’s journey to Apple was catalyzed by the visionary entrepreneur Steve Jobs, who motivated him to be part of a greater mission behind the company’s products.
“In 1998, Steve Jobs convinced me to leave Compaq behind and join a company that was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. They manufactured computers, but at that juncture, people weren’t inclined to purchase them. Steve had a vision for change, and I wanted to be a part of it,” Cook recounted.
“It wasn’t just about the iMac, the iPod, or any subsequent innovations. It was about the principles that breathed life into these creations. The notion that providing potent tools to ordinary individuals fosters creativity and propels humanity forward,” Cook emphasized.
Despite his genuine passion for the work he engages in, Cook undeniably exerts significant effort. He divulged that he rises before 4 a.m. each day, sharing with Axios in November, “I like to dedicate the first hour to reviewing user feedback and engaging with external stakeholders who are pivotal to us. Then, I head to the gym for an hour because it helps keep my stress in check.”