To have the dream job requires specialized knowledge. As a result, you have been conditioned to believe that unless the work directly applies to the desired outcome, it is superfluous and easily dropped.
Alan Turing, a mathematician and codebreaker of the Nazi Enigma code during WWII, also dabbled in physics, biology, chemistry, and neurology. His work on morphogenesis was largely unpublished in his lifetime, but it became the basis of an entirely new field of mathematical biology.
Hedy Lamarr, the iconic actress of the Golden Age of cinema, and composer and pianist George Antheil were also inventors. Although they never made money from their WWII secret communications device, their development of the “spread spectrum” technology forms the basis for today’s secure WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS now used by billions globally.
Gustav Mahler, although now regarded as a highly influential and frequently played composer, did not enjoy such recognition for his own music during his lifetime. He was highly acclaimed as a conductor, but his music would be largely ignored for 50 more years after his death in 1911.
Your chances to make an impact are not limited to your current vocation or the story you’ll be most known for. Give it your attention, because we need your contribution.