A Harvard expert interviewed 200 high achievers and found that the biggest issue with loving your job is that taking time off won't solve it.

Beware the dangers of loving your job.

If you're passionate about something, you may feel compelled to devote all your time to it. However, this could result in taking on more work than you can handle or neglecting to take breaks, which can ultimately lead to burnout, as Jon M. Jachimowicz, a professor of leadership and organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, suggests.

Jachimowicz interviewed 200 high achievers, including athletes, artists, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and found that they all experienced a similar phenomenon: their aspirations, at some point, became a burden, leading to self-doubt and stress.

He stated that they are now in a new phase of their life where they view their passion as something that requires careful management and maintenance.

Jachimowicz's research is personal, too. He moved from the United Kingdom to New York to study worldwide economic inequality and dedicate all his time to researching at Columbia University. However, within a year, his passion was overtaken by cynicism and low self-efficacy, and he felt rudderless and adrift, he said.

""That's for sure, no vacation will fix that," Jachimowicz stated."

A 2023 Zippia report found that 20% of Americans are truly passionate about their jobs. To maintain this level of passion, it's crucial to establish boundaries and recognize early signs of burnout, advised Jachimowicz.

""Employees who are more passionate about their job are more likely to see additional unpaid tasks as an opportunity to grow and learn or as an act of service, rather than feeling that it's more permissible or legitimate," he said."

How to maintain your passions — and your job

Jachimowicz advised that while going above and beyond at work can be beneficial, doing it excessively could negatively impact one's physical and mental health. It is important to speak up when feeling overwhelmed.

If you find yourself questioning your work, feeling less productive, or emotionally drained, it may be necessary to take a break, reduce your workload, or engage in self-evaluation to determine if this is the right career path for you, according to Jachimowicz. This can help prevent "passion whiplash," a phenomenon where you experience intense highs and lows in your emotions at work.

Psychologically exhausting, the fluctuation can negatively impact performance.

Jachimowicz advised finding a job that utilizes your strengths and avoids toxic daily situations, as passions can evolve over time.

"Although I enjoy cooking, I won't become a chef because I've seen enough of 'The Bear' and I don't agree with how kitchens operate."

Mark Cuban's advice to follow your passions in your free time while making a career out of what you're good at is echoed by Jachimowicz's comments.

"I was once passionate about becoming a professional basketball player, but then I realized I had a 7-inch vertical," Cuban stated in a 2018 video for Amazon's Insights for Entrepreneurs series.

Instead of spreading his efforts, he focused on his strengths in sales and entrepreneurship. Cuban sold MicroSolutions to CompuServe for $6 million in 1990, becoming a millionaire. Later, Yahoo bought his second company, Broadcast.com, for $5.7 billion in 1999, making him a billionaire.

In 2000, Cuban bought the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and eventually sold his majority stake last year for $3.5 billion, retaining a minority share and control of basketball operations.

"What I excelled at were the things I put effort into," Cuban stated. "Passion is often overemphasized, but it's not the main focus."

Mark Cuban is a panelist on "Shark Tank," which CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to.

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