Should I Follow My Head Or My Heart? Finding Meaning In Life and Career

When we’re young, we’re told to follow our passion. It sounds inspiring, doesn’t it? Do what you love, and success will follow. I believed it too.

I dreamt of becoming a scientist—someone who would discover the cure for cancer and maybe even win a Nobel Prize. That was the dream.

But then… life happened.

After school, I stepped into the real world and quickly realized that being a scientist wasn’t quite what I imagined. It wasn’t all groundbreaking discoveries and changing the world. It was about publishing paper after paper, constantly applying for grants, navigating contract-based positions, and working years in postdoc roles—with no real job security.

I was crushed. The passion was still there, but the reality of that path? It felt unsustainable. And worst of all, I was broke. Life became less about dreams and more about paying the bills.

So I made a tough decision: I followed my head.

Instead of pursuing a PhD, I pivoted into a practical job in the built environment industry—architectural lighting design. It wasn’t my childhood dream or passion, let alone anyone's. In fact, I didn’t even know a job like it existed until I stumbled onto it by chance. But it paid the bills, offered a bit of creative freedom (I’ve always loved drawing), and gave me the stability I needed.

That one decision laid the foundation for everything that followed.

Thirteen years later, I’m still in the same industry. I’ve built a solid, steady career using my head. But I haven’t left my heart behind. In-between and outside of work, I read, I teach, I write, and I make crafts—little passion projects that keep me connected to what I love. I used the money I earn at work to support my passion projects.

Funny enough, I’ve seen friends who followed the PhD route leave the field after a few grueling years. And every time I hear those stories, I quietly thank my head for making the decision I did.

So if you’re facing that age-old question—Should I follow my head or my heart?—here’s what I’ve learned:

Follow your head to build a stable life, and let your heart give it meaning.

You don’t have to choose just one to have a fulfilling career. Your job can be practical, while your passion lives on in the spaces between. That’s not giving up—it’s finding balance.

And who knows? Maybe one day, your passion project will grow into something more. But until then, there’s no regret in choosing the path that works—and bringing your heart along for the ride.