The Question Everyone Misses
People ask: will I be good at this? Will I make enough? Will people respect it? Those matter. But they miss the real question: can I sustain this? Will this still engage me in 10 years?
Why Staying Power Matters
You can fake interest for two years. You can push through something you hate if the money is good. But over a decade? That wears you down. Your work becomes just time you're trading for money. That's slow death.
The people who build real careers are the ones who pick something they can stay interested in long-term.
How to Assess It
Look at people 20 years into your chosen field. Are they burned out? Do they still care? Would you want to be them? That's not a perfect test, but it's revealing.
And be honest with yourself: is this something with depth? Or is it a trend that will be boring in five years? Depth is what lets you stay.