Author: Cal Newport
My recommendation: 3/5
Summary
The author illustrates a good way of creating a framework for how to find the work you love to do. This idea itself isn’t inherently groundbreaking, but I thought the author’s thoughtful approach was clearly communicated and resonated with me. My take is that the author is essentially saying: put in the hard work now to have better options later.
My Takeaways:
Compelling careers often have complex origins that reject the simple idea that all you have to do is follow your passion.
Steve Jobs actually didn’t know what his passion was.
Focus on becoming better – Steve Martin
Being better takes more time than people think.
“The tape doesn’t lie” Nashville studio musician quote.
Adopt a “craftsmen mindset” that takes an output-centric approach to work.
Craftsman mindset: what you can offer the world vs the traditional “passion mindset” what the world can offer you.
Adopt a mindset shift of approaching your job like a performer.
Traits that define great work: Creativity, impact and control
Focus on developing skills that are rare and valuable, as this will give you the career capital to have a job with all great work traits. (Supply and Demand)
The traits that define great work are rare and valuable.
The craftsmen mindset of becoming so good they can’t ignore you is a strategy to acquire startup capital. This trumps the passion mindset if the goal is to create work you love.
Serious study that puts you out of your comfort zone and appropriately challenging as well as a minimum of 10,000 hours of practice will get you to mastery level as well as immediate feedback. (Chess example. Also see similar thoughts for my book review on ‘Outliers: The Story of Success”)
Deliberate practice focused on carefully chosen difficult activities that stretch your ability and comfort will lead to mastery and to becoming so good they can’t ignite you.
Everyone in any type job hits a plateau.
Dedication to deliberate practice at our jobs is the way to successfully adopt a craftsmen mindset that blows past our peers.
Feedback is extremely important to get better.
5 Habits of a Craftsman:
- Decide what capital market you are in.
- Winner take all market vs auction market
- Identify your capital type.
- Define Good
- Stretch and destroy. Get out of your comfort zone and get direct feedback.
- Be patient.
Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases happiness, engagement and a sense of fulfillment.
Rule 1: You need career capital to have control in your work and lifestyle.
Avoid the trap of “courage culture” by doing what people are willing to pay for.
Manage your time by tracking it in a spreadsheet. (See similar takeaways from my book review on ‘The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done’)
Rule 2: Traits that define great work are rare and valuable, and if you want these, you need to first build up rare and valuable skills to offer in return.
Rule 3: leverage your career capital by gaining control over what you do and how you do it. Since control is the trait that shows up often in the lives of people who love what they do.
Have a mission in your working life.
Place little bets to get feedback to maximize chances of success.
Have a mission-driven project that is remarkable and launched in a venue that supports remarkable projects. (Open source example)
The best ideas for missions are just beyond, on the cutting edge or “adjacent possible”
Working right trumps finding the right work.