Review: "So Good They Can't Ignore You", By Cal Newport

I'm one of those people constantly on the lookout for resources and tips that I can share with my clients to help them grow. I also utilize this search as an opportunity to boost my own skill set and growth, and with that, I tend to come across books and podcasts that provide useful content. I try not to recommend something that I wouldn't use or follow myself, so with that being said, here's a book that I think is very useful for the entrepreneur or professional that finds themselves stuck on where to go. I came across "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport on a list published by Business Insider. This book offers some really great gems and thinking points, specifically tailored to the "follow your passion" mindset many of us grew up on.

One of the first resources that stood out to me was Roadtrip Nation, and is a great tool for those who are heavily into visual content. 

Focusing back on Newport, this book does not skimp on the notion that "follow your passion" is terrible career advice. Now for me, this is something that was pretty much ingrained into my brain since the age old question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" was proposed. "Find something/Do what you love" or "Follow your heart" is a concept constantly sold to us when trying to decide on a career path, but as Newport argues, this advice eventually sets us up for failure. Referencing the origin story of Steve Jobs, and many other visionaries, who at first glance seemed to have followed their passion, Newport's main line of reasoning is that these individuals did not simply love their work at the first go around. Instead, they focused on a skill/set of skills, obsessed over those skills until they became great, and then presented their work to the masses to be revered. While the image we see of these successful people shows them smiling, obviously passionate about their work and enjoying what they do, they didn't start out this way. Adopting the "craftman's mindset" instead of the "passion" mindset allowed these people to become the best of the best, and the happy people we see them as today. 

For those who've struggled with connecting their passion with their work, or figuring out their next step, pick up Cal Newport's book and see where it lands you!

Happy trails...