Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

Good morning. This is Laura.

Welcome to the Before Breakfast Podcast. Today's tip is to not discount that common

graduation advice to follow your passion. In many cases, this can be a wise career move.

We've recently emerged from graduation season.

Commencement speakers everywhere urge the gown and mortarboard set to follow their passions.

Other people give this as advice too.

A few years ago, I helped design a survey for alums approaching major reunions at my alma mater.

Sure enough that follow your passion. approaching major reunions at my alma mater.

Sure enough that follow your passion, Chestnut,

was the most common advice people shared.

It's easy to laugh at this cliche.

But what I think is more interesting is the deeper reason why

follow your passion might be smart. Some luck, like winning the lottery, as random.

But more commonly, success is a numbers game.

This means it is closely connected with what we find intrinsically motivating

for reasons related to how we spend our time.

As I watch my kids grow, I have been fascinated by the various ways they choose to spend the hours that they aren't at school or activities.

My eldest loves movies, but not just the plots.

He has become a diligent student of Box Office Mojo,

a website that posts daily revenue figures for major theater releases.

He studies the patterns and trends.

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