Do you know what a “triple-double” is?
If you said, “A drink that I could use several of these days,” I’m going to give you partial credit.
But no, a triple-double is a basketball statistic. It occurs when a player records double-digits in three different statistical categories in a single game. Most often, that’s 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 10+ assists.
It’s not extraordinarily unusual – there have been 119 of these so far this year out of more than 2000 games played. But it’s no easy thing.
Interestingly, out of those 119 triple-doubles, nearly one quarter of them (29) were achieved by the same man: Nikola Jokić (AKA, “The Joker”).
Plus, he made NBA history the other day when he became the first player to ever do it with 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 20+ assists.
But to me, the most interesting – and unusual – thing about The Joker is that he doesn’t seem all that interested in basketball.
He’s achieved a lot of other impressive things, too: most valuable player awards (3), all-star teams (7), and one league championship.
He’s said many times that he prefers spending time with his family and his horses back in his native Serbia.
Indeed, he seems to view the additional games that come with his team making it into the playoffs as a bit of an inconvenience. In 2023, after winning the NBA championship and with about as much enthusiasm as a hired assassin, he said, “The job is done. We can go home now.”
Do What You Love And … Nothing May Happen
“Passion” gets a lot of air time among those of us who work for ourselves; “Do What You Love And the Money Will Follow” is practically our theme song.
The thing is, and as The Joker so clearly demonstrates, it ignores the way things actually work – passion is not what your clients and prospective clients are buying:
They don’t care how hard you work.
They don’t care how much time you spend doing the work.
They don’t care that the reason you do the work is because after so many years doing work you hated, you have finally found what you really love to do.
All they care about is finding someone – the best someone they can identify in the moment – to fix their problem, whether that problem is winning more basketball games, performing a heart transplant, or heading up the Department of Defense (okay, bad example).
It’s their belief that you are that person that causes them to write a check with your name on it. They are not buying your passion; they are buying your capability.
What’s Your Triple-Double?
If you find my “passion is low-value” suggestion depressing, I have good news: It turns out that it’s actually good news. (See?)
One of the problems with passion (in addition to those mentioned above) is that it is available to anyone on any topic. Which makes it about the worst competitive advantage you could think of, since anyone on Earth can have as much of it as you do.
Capability, though – your particular set of skills and natural abilities – well, not only is that what clients are buying, but it’s much harder to copy. I can’t get a triple-double in the NBA, no matter how passionate I may be about basketball.
All of which means that when you sell what you are really, really good at…
- Your clients are happier. They have hired someone who is especially good at solving their problem(s).
- Your work is easier. There are plenty of NBA players who work harder than Jokić – but he’s still better.
- The competitors are fewer. The further you move to the right on the normal distribution curve of your specific capabilities (fellow liberal arts majors, stay with me), the fewer people there are out there with you. It’s not a crowded place.
Here’s the bottom line.
There’s nothing wrong with passion. But it can be a distraction from what’s going to take you where you want to go.
You don’t have to be the best “whatever it is you do” on earth to make a good living from it.
But by figuring out where and under what circumstances you are at your best – and selling that – you are going to jump way past the version of you obsessed with simply doing what you love.
Added bonus: It feels really good to be really good at something. There’s an extremely high likelihood that by doing work at which you are highly capable, you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it too.
Discussion Questions
How about you? How much overlap is there between what you love and what you’re really good at? Did you identify one before the other?
Post your answer and read what others have said below.
As a fellow liberal arts major, and given the time of year in college hoops, and some thinking that I’ve already been doing, your triple double metaphor resonated loudly for me. I believe the “follow your passion and the money will follow” isn’t the best advice. Talent trumps passion, but only if you have a passion for what you do (despite what the Joker says, I suspect he loves basketball and winning at basketball above that). But the real ‘triple double is where, in addition to talent and passion, there is also a market that cares about what you do and care about. As a recovering management consultant, the center of the triple vin-diagram of passion, talent and market is where championships are won. And some really good clients as well. Cheers!
100 percent!
I agree Bob. Capability, let alone passion, is not enough if nobody wants what we are selling!
Spot-on Michael! I started my business around my passion for graphic design, but found that prospects had trouble seeing the value. Over time I reshaped the business into an an agency that solved the specific problems of super-niche prospects in healthcare. What was more satisfying than working at my passion? Designing a business that made a lot of money with less effort!
BTW this made retirement a lot smoother, since there was more daylight between me and my business.
Interesting last point, Peter. If there is less passion, leaving is probably easier. I’m sure Jokic will have an easier time in retirement than many athletes who struggle.
I’ve always been confused by the term “passion” as it relates to a profession. “He’s passionate about his work.” I understand it in religious terms, as in “the Passion of Christ.” Passion has rarely, if ever, been a characteristic of my personality. Most people describe mine as “reserved.” (In high school, I aspired to be like the late NBC news anchor John Chancellor. Google or see You Tube for pics or videos of him.) For 38 years, I was a threat analyst in the State Department. I never won a huge award for it but my assessments were well received and may have saved some lives. As I prepared to retire a couple of years ago, a colleague told me, “You will really me missed. You’re an institution around here.” Now retired, I “like” to write, especially with my previous boundaries removed. I can’t say I’m passionate about this, but I would like it even more if I learned that people like to read what I write.
Sounds like writing is in your future!
It took me a while to find my passion. I’m finally writing in a niche that I’m passionate about and it brings me so much joy. I realize what I love and what I’m good at are two separate things! It’s easier to just focus on what I’m good at and add the love to make a master piece!