People often ask me how they can elevate their performance and do better in their work. Although there are a lot of strategies that people use to be more efficient and effective, I believe that the single best thing you can do is to dedicate yourself to the things you are passionate about.

When we are passionate about something, it doesn’t feel like work to put our full effort into it. Whether it’s creating music or art, running a business, participating in a sport, or cleaning up your neighborhood, if you love what you are doing, it isn’t work—it’s passion. The trick is to find a way to do your passion as work. The people who are truly and hugely successful succeed not only because they are willing to put in hard work, but because it often doesn’t feel like work, since they are doing the very thing that they love the most. Great examples are companies like Zappos, non-profits like the Gates Foundation, and individuals like Michelle Obama. These people and organizations dedicated themselves to the thing they were most passionate about, and their success and influence can be seen around the world.

Ultimately, when on our deathbeds, there will be very little that we look back at and remember as being important. Love, family, friends, and a few experiences will linger with us as all of the superficiality fall away in the presence of our mortality. But a life lived with passion—and the successes that come with it—will leave a legacy for future generations, and will comfort us as we look back and know that we made a difference. Find your passion, and live it. Not much else matters.