My Struggle With What I Truly Want to Do
Overview
This document reflects my thoughts on whether I should pursue what I truly want to do (my dream), or focus on what is realistically achievable.
Introduction
In early 2025, I was spending my long winter break studying software development and playing basketball. Although I started basketball relatively late, I found it incredibly engaging and wanted to get better. So, I decided to invest a lot of time into it to make up for the late start.
However, I began to notice that I was dedicating more time and effort to basketball—my hobby—than to development, which was supposed to be my main career path.
This led me to a serious internal conflict: "If I enjoy basketball more than development, is it right to make development my profession?" I gave this question a lot of thought but couldn’t arrive at a definitive answer because choosing basketball as a profession presented two primary paths:
- Attempt to become a professional basketball player and enter a league (e.g., KBL).
- Become a basketball coach or skills trainer.
However, both options come with significant drawbacks in my current situation.
-
Becoming a Professional Basketball Player
- Most professional athletes start training in upper elementary school. At 18, I’m already far behind youth athletes preparing for the pros.
- My physical attributes are below average for a professional player.
- I don’t believe I have natural talent. I haven’t been assessed by professionals, but I come from a non-athletic DNA. and know many local players who are better than me.
- I would need to give up too much. I’ve already spent years preparing for a development career, and my parents have invested heavily in it.
-
Becoming a Coach or Skills Trainer
- There are very few basketball coaches or trainers in Korea. Certification often requires training in the U.S., and top-level athletic ability is essential.
- Ultimately, I don’t enjoy teaching basketball—I enjoy playing it.
Given these realities, I decided to stay focused on development and keep basketball as a hobby.
Main Body
Not long after making that decision, the same conflict resurfaced.
It was triggered by this video:
Youtuble Link: A man who spent time more time than others. -Motivation, Kobe Bryant
At 4:36, Kobe Bryant says:
"If you have to convince yourself every morning to work hard, maybe you should consider changing your profession. That’s a problem. I was excited to wake up and train every morning."
Hearing that made me reflect on my own winter break. I would often have to motivate myself to study development. But for basketball, I naturally woke up at 6 a.m. just to get to the gym early, and I was genuinely excited every day.
This led me to rethink everything once again.
Is Passion-Work Alignment Realistic?
When I revisited the dilemma, I took it more seriously and did some research. I found many other young people struggling with the same questions:
- Can you make money doing what you love?
- If your hobby becomes your job, will you still enjoy it?
The answers varied greatly. For instance, singer IU said that although she became a musician out of love for music, she eventually found it harder to enjoy music purely once it became her profession. On the other hand, Warren Buffett famously said he feels like he’s “tap dancing to work.”
This shows how subjective the issue is. In my view, whether passion and work can truly align depends on multiple personal factors—how deeply someone loves what they do, their sensitivity to happiness, and their tolerance for the challenges associated with doing what they love.
Conclusion
After much reflection, I decided to continue with development as my main career and keep basketball as a hobby. While there were practical reasons behind this decision, I also realized that I can still find joy in basketball without making it my job.
Yes, I really love basketball. Since I started, my life has changed in meaningful ways, and it has become an essential part of who I am.
But I don’t think my love for basketball is strong enough to justify turning it into a career. I’ve noticed that some friends around me have a similar level of passion for the game, which means I’m probably not as deeply committed as I need to be. Plus, there are times when even I don’t feel like playing.
I believe this kind of dilemma will arise repeatedly throughout my life. Whenever I feel like I’ve found my calling or something that fits my personality perfectly, I’ll need a clear decision-making framework.
So I’ve created a simple rule: only two choices when facing this type of decision:
- Fully commit to the new path only if I’m willing to accept failure and know I’d regret not trying.
- Stick to my current path, and continue the other pursuit as a hobby or at a semi-professional level.
Ultimately, I believe that if I have real talent, opportunities will arise. Just like some NBA players who were scouted while playing streetball, opportunities often come to those who simply put themselves out there.
Final Thoughts
For the first time in my life, I was able to deeply reflect on and consider topics like “what I truly want to do” and “aligning passion with work.” It seems like the timing was right—just as I was starting to feel a bit tired of development, my love for basketball was growing. That convergence created this opportunity.
Of course, this kind of issue isn’t something you resolve with a single round of reflection; it’s a lifelong consideration that evolves over time.
Still, this experience allowed me to build a personal process for dealing with such thoughts when they arise, and I believe that made it a valuable experience.
Let’s keep this in mind: Opportunities always follow those who take action⭐️. If you do nothing, you come to a stop.