Like many here, I've had an oddball career path thus far, and have read many books / blogs exploring the relationship between passion and career success.

Here's a brief summary of the (now obvious sounding) advice I wish I'd received at age 18.

The TLDR: Assume you are capable of learning ANY skill (growth mindset) but that, realistically, you will only become GREAT at skills where, after building a basic level of competence, you enjoy the work enough to do it in your FREE TIME.

This is because 'GREAT' is defined, in any market, by your competitors. Lacking such enjoyment in the work itself, you will have little chance to outcompete those who do, for the limited, most desirable jobs in your field.

Step 1: During or after high school, go WIDE. Take basic courses in a wide variety of skills that the market values: coding, visual design, economics, math, writing, data science, etc. If you're excited to dig deeper on any subjects, great, but explore more alternatives in parallel. Your goal is to stumble into the obsession (or 2-3) that will fuel 250-1000 hours of hard-nosed work needed to build an entry-level skillset, and to outcompete your peers for your first paid gig.

While exploring, avoid the classic mistake of wedding yourself to a single skill, passion or industry with low market demand. Don't decide to make a living as a musician, not quite yet. Today's market values many creative skills, any one of which could become your new obsession.

Once you've found a marketable skill / area you enjoy enough to push you through some late nights, you can start to build the portfolio that will qualify you for an entry-level job.

Step 2: Get your first job in a field a) that interests you, b) where you can gain lateral exposure to other disciplines and skill sets in c) a fast moving and fluid environment. This combination will maximize your opportunities to do step 3.

Step 3: In your paid role, continue to acquire new and valued skills in a configuration that makes you increasingly unique. Here again you are looking for alignment between a) skill and knowledge combinations the market values, and b) areas you find interesting or motivating enough to fuel late nights working while your coworkers are asleep.

Step 4: At the same time, look for opportunities to take on more responsibility or to multiply the value you deliver. This can be fast-tracked by taking a new job that requires it, or by starting your own company.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 again and again, and before long, you may have NO true competitors in a chosen specialization that is unique to you.

In summary, the 'follow your passion' trope is directionally correct, but incomplete, and, most problematically, seems to suggest that you only get ONE passion which must be pursued no matter how impractical.

Instead, the part of you wanting 'career success' can view and cultivate your passion(s) as a hack, and as a competitive advantage. Use them as such, and you'll go far.