Big Idea Daily | Are You Fully Charged?
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The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Lifeby Tom Rath |
“Try to remind yourself of why you do what you do every day. Bringing your mission to the forefront keeps you motivated. It could also make you a lot more productive.”TOM RATH |
BIG IDEA
Meaning = Strengths + Interests + Needs
FROM THE BOOK“You create meaning when your strengths and interests meet the needs of the world.
Knowing your talents and passions is critical, but that is only half of this supply-and-demand equation. What may be even more important is understanding what the world needs from you and how you can productively apply your strengths and interests.
One of the rightful critiques of all the ‘follow your passion’ advice is that it presumes that you are the center of the world, and pursuing your own joy is the objective of life. Those who make a profound difference, in contrast, begin by asking what they can give. Starting with this question allows you to direct your talents toward what matters most for others.”
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Brian's Notes
Creating meaning on a daily basis is the first condition of getting fully charged.
Two things here.
First, Tom’s critique of the “follow your passion” advice reminds me of Cal Newport whose great book So Good They Can’t Ignore You (see Notes) is essentially a treatise pointing to the perils of what he calls the “passion mindset” vs. the power of the “craftsman mindset.”
Here’s how Cal puts it: “Whereas the craftsman mindset focuses on what you can offer the world, the passion mindset focuses on what the world can offer you. This mindset is how most people approach their working lives.”
In short, it’s not all about us. So, how do we create meaning?
→“You create meaning when your strengths and interests meet the needs of the world.”
Strengths + Interests + Needs.
What are you good at? _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
What do you want to do? _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
What does the world need? _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Deep, sustainable meaning is created at the nexus of those questions.
I’ve journaled a similar version of this set of questions countless times. Business writer Jim Collins tells us that great companies and great humans focus on what he calls the Hedgehog Concept—the nexus of what you love, what you can be the best in the world at and what the world needs/is willing to pay for.
These questions are worth exploring again and again. And, most importantly (of course), living.
Here’s to creating meaning!
Big Ideas
01: THE 3 CONDITIONS
02: MEANING
03: YOUR TALENTS
04: 45 + 15
05: 500 MILLION MOMENTS
“If you want to make a difference—not just today, but for many years to come—you need to put your health and energy ahead of all else.”TOM RATH |
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