Most scientific research on this topic agrees with the self-determination framework. That says that in order to enjoy doing an activity for a long time, you have to have:
1. Autonomy. The feeling of freedom and control over your work.
2. Mastery. The feeling that you're good at what you do and getting better.
3. Relatedness. The feeling that you're working with people you like.
When you're doing something on the side, you almost always have all of the above. When you start a job doing something, you almost always lose all of the above.
The real question is how to gain Autonomy, Mastery, and Relatedness at a job. It's not impossible by any means. But it does frame the question differently, since those 3 traits are often more critical to enjoying your day-to-day life than exactly which field you work in.
For a very good book that goes into much more detail, see So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport.
(I went through a very similar experience with losing interest in a field I loved because I "had to" do it. Working on gaining control over my career completely rekindled my love for the subject, stronger than ever).
Comments
Most scientific research on this topic agrees with the self-determination framework. That says that in order to enjoy doing an activity for a long time, you have to have:
1. Autonomy. The feeling of freedom and control over your work.
2. Mastery. The feeling that you're good at what you do and getting better.
3. Relatedness. The feeling that you're working with people you like.
When you're doing something on the side, you almost always have all of the above. When you start a job doing something, you almost always lose all of the above.
The real question is how to gain Autonomy, Mastery, and Relatedness at a job. It's not impossible by any means. But it does frame the question differently, since those 3 traits are often more critical to enjoying your day-to-day life than exactly which field you work in.
For a very good book that goes into much more detail, see So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport.
(I went through a very similar experience with losing interest in a field I loved because I "had to" do it. Working on gaining control over my career completely rekindled my love for the subject, stronger than ever).