Introduction
In "The Art of Work," Jeff Goins explores the concept of finding one's calling and living a life of purpose. This book is a guide for those who feel unfulfilled in their current jobs or are searching for deeper meaning in their lives. Goins argues that everyone has a unique calling, and by discovering and pursuing it, we can lead more satisfying lives and leave a lasting legacy.
The Importance of Finding Your Calling
Unhappiness in the Workplace
Goins begins by highlighting a startling statistic: only 13 percent of the world's population actually enjoy their work. This widespread dissatisfaction in the workplace is a clear indicator that many people have not yet found their true calling.
Beyond Pleasure and Pain
The author emphasizes that finding your calling isn't just about seeking happiness or avoiding discomfort. Instead, it's about imbuing your life with meaning. Goins argues that humans shouldn't be mere pleasure seekers or pain avoiders; rather, they should strive to find a purpose that drives them forward.
Viktor Frankl's Perspective
To illustrate this point, Goins references Viktor Frankl, the renowned psychologist and Holocaust survivor. Frankl believed that everyone needs a reason to keep living, a cause to push them forward. This aligns with the idea of a calling being a force larger than oneself that drives one's actions.
Discovering Your Calling
The Role of Awareness
Goins stresses the importance of awareness in recognizing your calling when it presents itself. He suggests that people often discover their callings when some event or feeling triggers their awareness of it. To illustrate this, he uses the example of Luke Skywalker realizing he wanted to be a Jedi after Obi-Wan Kenobi introduced him to the concept.
Practical Steps to Find Your Calling
The author provides a practical exercise to help readers identify their calling. He suggests making a list of all major life events, even those that might not seem significant at first glance. By examining these moments and looking for similarities between them, one might discover a common thread that points towards their calling.
The Importance of Mentors and Practice
The Myth of the Self-Made Person
Goins debunks the myth of the self-made person, arguing that almost no one achieves success alone. He emphasizes the importance of finding good coaches and mentors to guide you on your journey towards your calling.
Life as a School
The author encourages readers to view life as a school, where every person you meet and every experience you have is an opportunity to learn something about yourself. He uses the example of Steve Jobs, who left college but continued to learn by auditing classes he found interesting and working with people in the real world.
The Power of Practice
Goins stresses the importance of continuous practice in mastering one's calling. He compares this process to muscle building, where growth occurs when you regularly push yourself a little too far, causing small tears that then rebuild stronger.
Embracing Failure
The author emphasizes that practice isn't about perfection, but about pushing yourself into new frontiers, making mistakes, and learning from them. He encourages readers to accustom themselves to failure, viewing it as a necessary part of growth and improvement.
Maintaining Momentum
The Staircase Analogy
Goins uses the analogy of a staircase to illustrate the journey towards one's calling. He emphasizes that it's not an escalator that carries you effortlessly to the top, but a flight of stairs that requires constant effort and forward movement.
Continuous Improvement
The author stresses the importance of continuous improvement, using the example of teaching. If teaching is your calling, you shouldn't stop at just getting a job as a teacher. Instead, you should keep teaching classes, observing other teachers, and studying new techniques to improve your skills.
The Danger of Stagnation
Goins warns against the dangers of stagnation, noting that if you stop working towards your goal even for a short period, it might be difficult to start again. He encourages readers to always keep improving themselves and moving forward.
Learning from Failure
Failure as a Path to Success
One of the key messages in "The Art of Work" is that failure doesn't take you away from success – it leads you there. Goins argues that everyone who pursues their dream experiences setbacks at some point, and these hardships should be viewed as opportunities to learn and better oneself.
The Steve Jobs Example
To illustrate this point, Goins uses the example of Steve Jobs being kicked out of Apple, his own company. Instead of dwelling on this setback, Jobs got involved with Pixar, learned from his mistakes, and eventually returned to Apple, turning it into one of the biggest companies in the world.
The Pivot Foot Analogy
Goins introduces the concept of the "pivot foot" from basketball as a metaphor for dealing with setbacks. In basketball, when a player takes two steps without dribbling, they must keep one foot (the pivot foot) on the ground. However, they can still move their body around this foot to look for opportunities. Similarly, even when faced with a roadblock, we can still find ways to move forward and adapt.
Living a Portfolio Life
Defining Portfolio Life
Goins introduces the concept of a "portfolio life," where one's identity is based on a wide range of activities and roles rather than just one. He breaks this down into four main areas: work, home, play, and purpose.
The Four Areas of Portfolio Life
- Work: This includes not just your main job, but other projects you work on as well.
- Home: This area is about family and friends, which provide much of life's meaning.
- Play: Activities done purely for enjoyment fall into this category.
- Purpose: This is the main goal of your life – what you're prepared to take risks for.
The Rise of Freelancing
Goins points out the growing trend of freelancing as an example of the portfolio life in action. He predicts that by 2020, between 40 and 50 percent of the American workforce will be freelancers, and by 2030, they'll comprise the majority.
The Appeal of Variety
The author argues that humans aren't designed to do just one thing. Our interests are varied, and we feel more fulfilled when we can allocate time to all of them. This variety is a crucial part of living a meaningful life.
The Concept of Flow
Goins introduces Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's concept of "flow" – a mental state where you're fully immersed in an activity. Flow occurs at the intersection of what you're good at and what challenges you. The author encourages readers to seek out different sorts of challenges that bring variety to their portfolio life and help them achieve this state of flow.
Your Calling as Your Legacy
Beyond Personal Goals
Goins emphasizes that a calling is much more than a personal goal or a single achievement. It's not about producing one masterpiece, but about creating a body of work that will continue to inspire others long after you're gone.
The Mozart Example
To illustrate this point, Goins uses the example of Mozart. While people might think of a particular piece like "The Magic Flute" when they think of Mozart, it's his entire life's work that has influenced and inspired people for centuries.
Acknowledging Death
The author argues that to truly understand your calling, you must acknowledge death. A calling is also a legacy, and the fear of death can be a powerful motivator to keep creating until the end. Goins uses the example of Einstein asking for his glasses on his deathbed, desperate to finish his work.
Accepting Incompleteness
While the fear of death can be a motivator, Goins also emphasizes the importance of accepting that you'll likely never finish everything. He encourages readers to find peace in the idea that their legacy will live on through their work, even after they're gone.
The Asterix Example
To illustrate how a legacy can continue beyond one's lifetime, Goins shares the story of Albert Uderzo, the creator of the comic Asterix. Despite being the sole creator, Uderzo passed the series on to a new author to ensure his legacy would live on.
Final Thoughts
In "The Art of Work," Jeff Goins presents a compelling argument for the importance of finding and pursuing one's calling. He emphasizes that this journey is not just about personal fulfillment, but about creating a legacy that will continue to inspire others long after we're gone.
Goins encourages readers to:
- Develop awareness to recognize their calling when it presents itself
- Seek out mentors and continuously practice to improve their skills
- Embrace failure as a learning opportunity
- Strive for a balanced portfolio life that includes work, home, play, and purpose
- View their calling as a legacy that extends beyond their lifetime
The author concludes by reminding us that living for our calling isn't just about mastering the art of work – it's about mastering the art of living and dying in peace. By finding and pursuing our calling, we can lead more fulfilling lives, make a meaningful impact on the world, and leave behind a legacy that continues to inspire others.
In essence, "The Art of Work" is a guide to discovering what truly matters in life and pursuing it with passion and purpose. It's about finding that intersection between what you love, what you're good at, and what the world needs. By doing so, Goins argues, we can transform our work from a source of drudgery into a source of joy and fulfillment, and ultimately leave the world a little better than we found it.