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Overview
Some people have told you that the key to success is to follow your passion. However, Steve Jobs was very successful in spite of his passion for Zen Buddhism.
In So Good They Can’t Ignore You (2012), Cal Newport says that the “passion trap”—the idea that you should work for something you love doing so much it doesn’t feel like work—is a myth. Instead, he advocates finding jobs that require rare and valuable skills in order to be satisfied with your career. He also argues that, once you have those skills, you can find satisfaction by striving for control over your job and autonomy in your working hours. Finally, he suggests setting an inspiring goal for yourself professionally.
Big Idea #1: Passion is rare, and striving for a job you’re passionate about often leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
“The passion hypothesis” is a popular belief among life coaches and authors. The idea is that people should find their passion, then they’ll be able to find a job related to it. However, this isn’t always true. For example, in 2002, when Canadian university students were asked if they had passions related to careers or education; only 4 out of 84 said yes. In fact most of the passions the other 80 identified weren’t viable for careers at all but instead hobbies such as dancing and reading.
Secondly, passion can be dangerous. Since the 1970s, people have begun to follow their passions and do what they love. However, this has led to more job switching. Many people are unhappy with their jobs because of this frequent switching in the job market.
People who are constantly seeking the job they were “meant to do” will constantly be on the lookout for new jobs and not feel fulfilled.
Take Thomas, for example. He wanted to be a Zen Buddhist but was still unhappy with his job. Finally, he quit and joined the monastery where he learned that passion alone is not enough to make you happy.
Passion is rare and it’s not something you can force. People often try to find a job they’re passionate about, but that doesn’t always lead to happiness.
Big Idea #2: Don’t do what you love. Learn to love what you do – by acquiring mastery, autonomy and relatedness.
People with passions usually end up as successful people. Passionate workers are motivated and take pride in their work. However, it seems that you don’t need to be passionate about something in order to be a successful worker. The results of a survey showed that the most important factor for workers’ satisfaction is how much experience they have with what they do. Employees who’ve worked longer enjoy their job more than those who haven’t worked for long periods of time doing this particular thing. Therefore, passion for your job comes when you develop skills and relationships at work over time.
However, experience isn’t the only factor in job satisfaction. Another is expertise.
When you master something, it is more likely that you will become passionate about it. A scientific theory called the self-determination theory identifies three factors (autonomy, competence and relatedness) required to generate intrinsic motivation, which leads to higher levels of job satisfaction.
To be autonomous and competent, you need to master your field. You don’t need passion; you just have to work hard at it.
Don’t do what you love. Instead, learn to love what you do by gaining mastery in your field, becoming autonomous and connecting with others who share your interests.
Big Idea #3: Adopt the craftsman mind-set, practice hard and get out of your comfort zone.
The passion mindset is about asking what you really want. People with this mindset tend to question their job satisfaction and happiness, focus on the value of their jobs, and are aware of everything they dislike about their work. The result? Their job satisfaction decreases. By contrast, the craftsman mindset focuses on bringing quality to your work. It acknowledges that no matter what field you’re in, success is always about doing good work consistently well over time; it’s not just about being happy or excited all the time. When you adopt a craftsman mind-set, you won’t hesitate to do what it takes to improve your work or take steps toward achieving mastery in your field by practicing deliberately for 10 years straight (like a chess player does).
