5 Lessons From "So Good They Can't Ignore You"

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Finding the right career path can be a daunting task, especially in a world that constantly promotes the idea of “following your passion.” However, Cal Newport’s “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” challenges this conventional wisdom by presenting a compelling alternative: the craftsman mindset. Through this lens, Newport emphasizes the importance of building valuable skills, seeking control over your work, and practicing deliberate improvement. This blog post explores the key lessons for the book that will help us to cultivate a fulfilling and successful career without the pressure of finding a singular passion.

1. Stop Chasing Your One True Passion

I’m sure you have heard it over and over: If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life! Turn your hobby into your profession! Follow your passion! Find your passion and monetize it!

Sounds like solid advice, right? There is only one problem: What is my passion? I might like reading Fanfiction and watching Formula 1, but I sure as hell don’t want to turn that into my career.

Most of us have spent plenty of time searching for our “one true passion.” Many students drop out of college or jump from major to major because they haven’t found their passion yet. As if we can only have a fulfilling life if we find our passion and turn it into a career.

Cal Newport argues that this passion hypothesis is not only false but also highly damaging.

Turning your passion for yoga into a yoga studio doesn’t guarantee you will have a compelling career. It takes actual skills and experience to run a successful yoga studio. Instead of blindly following your passion, you should keep your daytime job and build enough career capital—aka sought-after and valuable skills—to eventually turn your passion project into a success.

On the other hand, Newport argues that nearly every career can be compelling if you go about it the right way. And isn’t that a relief?!

I have been studying law for almost seven years now and am getting close to attaining my second law degree, which means that the ‘real’ working life is nearing rapidly. And sure, I like law. It is interesting enough, but I sure as hell don’t consider it my passion! I wager to guess only a few students consider the subject they study their true passion.

In a world that increasingly supports the passion hypothesis, it makes you worry that you are on the wrong path, that you are setting yourself up for a life of misery, when you should be doing something else.

I have always loved the notion of “learning to love what you do,” which is why it is so refreshing to finally hear someone talk about jobs in that way instead of with a passion mindset.

But how do we turn our job, any job, into something we love doing? That brings us to the second lesson:

2. Job Satisfaction Mainly Comes from Control

Cal Newport argues that the people most satisfied with their jobs are those who have the biggest amount of control over when, how, and what they work on.

And yeah, that’s actually a big part of what makes me envy all those people with great careers. Think of these entrepreneurs or even successful actors; they all have a lot of control over what they do and how they do it.

Or compare the teachers of Finland (a country that regularly places very high in the PISA studies) with teachers in other countries. In Finland, every teacher gets to decide how to run their own classroom, while in other countries, all classes of the same grade use the same textbooks and have the same lesson plan with slightly different tests. I don’t know about you, but I know in which country I would rather be a teacher.

So yes, control over your working day is a big factor for happiness. I already knew that in relation to the entrepreneurial lifestyle, but I had never really thought much about it in relation to ‘ordinary’ jobs.

It is definitely going to make me look differently at every career opportunity I encounter. It could be the deciding factor that makes you choose the lower-paying job with bigger freedoms over the more prestigious employer. Or perhaps you will feel confident sacrificing a pay raise for having more of a say in the department.

It doesn’t matter in what shape or form you take control; just make sure to place it high on your list of priorities. This importance of control, as Newport points out, can be a key driver of occupational happiness.

3. To Gain More Control, You Need to Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You

Control without competency to back it up can end in disaster. So naturally, there are few jobs where you are given a lot of reign straight from the beginning.

But after the initial phase of getting a hang of our work, most people start to crave more control than they are given from their boss. They then might try to gain it through negotiation during the yearly performance reviews. However, why would your employer give you more control? What separates you from the other employees?

This is the point where it becomes important to become ‘so good they can’t ignore you’. If you reach that level of competency, your employer will actively try to offer you more to keep you with them.

Realistically speaking, a lot of employees are largely interchangeable. Sure, it is always annoying to have to hold job interviews and then instruct a new employee on how to do their work. But most employees simply don’t perform at a level where they provide a unique value to their employer. If you become one of the few who does provide that value, you will be able to negotiate for more control in your job, which will make it even more enjoyable.

4. To Become Great, Practice Like an Athlete or Artist

Athletes and artists improve their skills through deliberate practice. A musician might try to play a new song over and over again until every little part of it is perfected. An athlete carefully analyzes their weakest spot and practices that one maneuver time and time again while taking note of every development until they have improved. And then both the artist and the athlete move on to the next challenge.

This kind of deliberate practice seems obvious for athletic or artistic pursuits. Although it isn’t as obvious for knowledge workers, it can make just as much of an impact there.

Sadly, most of us stop practicing deliberately as soon as we are not required to write exams and tests anymore.

Cal Newport has adopted the habit of actively searching out challenging academic papers every week, that he then dissects bit by bit until he understands them entirely and can at times even argue against them.

This form of regular deliberate practice will rapidly set you apart from your colleagues and open new opportunities for you. Embracing this craftsman mindset is crucial for career success and provides great satisfaction in the working world.

5. A Good Career Mission Takes Time to Develop

Many of us dream of making an impact in the world. To spend our career doing something that improves the lives of countless people. And just like with the passion mindset, we rack our minds for possible careers and business ventures that can help us achieve this goal.

However, a good career mission takes time to develop. It might take years for you to explore your field in different directions before you’ll stumble over one that is both profitable and lights you up inside.

You can’t rush that progress. No amount of thinking will lead you to a good career mission. What it takes are small explorations into different areas until you have gained enough experience to notice unique opportunities. This methodical series of little bets, as Newport describes, is a crucial factor in finding a mission that aligns with both your skills and your passions.

“So Good They Can’t Ignore You” challenges the conventional wisdom about career success and provides a fresh perspective on how to achieve it. By shifting our focus from finding a passion to building valuable skills and seeking control over our work, we can create fulfilling and compelling careers. Whether you’re a college student, a young professional, or someone reevaluating your career path, Newport’s insights offer a roadmap to greater satisfaction and success in the working world. Embrace the craftsman mindset, build your career capital, and remember that skills trump passion in the quest for a meaningful and rewarding career.