Feb 15

Feb 15 BZ Book Review 09: <So Good That They Cannot Ignore You> by Cal Newport

Key Takeaways

1. The path of looking for a career that you are passionate does not guarantee happiness. On the contrary it often leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

2. Love what you do instead of do what you love. Through acquiring autonomy, mastery and relatedness, you can find passion/happiness/motivation in the work you do.

Autonomy: The feeling that you have control over things
Mastery: The feeling that you are good at something
Relatedness: The feeling of connection you have with people at work

3. Adopt the craftsman mind-set, practice smartly, get out of the comfort zone

Craftsman mind-set: Think what you can do or improve to make the work better. Instead of asking what is the best work for you, which mindset only set you to look for things you are not satisfied with the current job. By adopting a craftsman mind-set, you start within yourself and find ways to improve yourself.
Practice: 10,000 hour theory - in order to achieve the mastery of some skill, you need at lease 10,000 hours of practice. This is not simply repeat but deliberate practice and make analytical improvement.
Getting out of your comfort zone: Always stay in line, you cannot improve. Try different things. Like workout, try different routine and moves, you can see your body change fast; Try think and learn differently, you will find your brain retain knowledge different

4. If you want a rare and valuable job, acquire a rare and valuable skillset. Those skills are called career capital. They help set you apart from other individuals. The craftsman mind-set will help you get better and better at what you do. Need to constantly acquire skills and put into your toolbox to make sure your career capital is sustainable.

5. T-model talent, you need to achieve mastery by developing skills in critical areas that matter to your company or the industry. You have to be the best at what you do.

6. Success requires making bold moves and trying everything to stand out from the crowd. Use the craftsman mind-set, acquire career capital, step by step find and pursue my passion.