​Book Review: So Good They Cant Ignore You by Cal Newport

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I’ve long enjoyed reading his work and agree to the principle he puts out that passion alone isn’t enough to see you succeed in your chosen career path. Here are some highlights from his book that stick with me. I had read this a few years ago and a recent blog post by a consultant turned professor friend brought this back up top of mind. 

​I honestly believe this should be essential reading for anyone in school or about to join the workforce but can be read at any time in your career to take away what you need in that moment to progress to your full potential. These are just a few words that echoed with me this time that I re-read the book. I encourage you to read it for yourself to fully understand the ideas he puts forth. 
 
Compelling careers often have complex origins that reject the simple idea that all you have to do is follow your passion.
 
Regardless of how you feel abut your job right now, adopting the craftsman mindset is the foundation on which you will build a compelling career.
 
According to him, a craftsman mindset is an output centric approach to work, to successfully adopt this mindset, we have to approach our jobs with a dedication to deliberate practice, this is an approach to your working life in which you focus on the value of what you are offering to the world. 
 
If you just show up and work hard, you will soon hit a performance plateau beyond which you fail to get any better. 
 
Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement and sense of fulfillment.
 
Do what people are willing to pay for – that is the law of financial viability . Working right trumps finding the right work. 
 
Career capital is the key currency for creating the work you love , these are the rare and valuable skills you can offer.
 
I specially appreciate that he has a glossary at the end of the book explaining some of the key concepts presented and has them highlighted in the chapters as well. I’d like to know your thoughts on the topic so comment away below. 
 
I have this habit of reading all of an author’s works together if I start with one so I have the rest of his books waiting to be borrowed from the library and will have some highlights from those to share here as well. Happy Reading!