This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Grit" by Angela Duckworth. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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Do you find meaning in the work that you do? How can you develop a sense of purpose in your work?
Many people aim to find meaningful work from the get-go, but according to Angela Duckworth, the author of Grit, finding meaning in your work can take time. In her book, she shares some tips on how to find meaningful work through the three-part progression to purpose.
Here is what Duckworth has to say about finding meaning in your work.
How to Develop Meaning
Are you wondering how to find meaningful work? In her book Grit, Duckworth notes that while some people know their purpose early and shape their career around it, most successful people typically follow a three-part progression to purpose, and that, like interests, a sense of purpose often takes time to develop:
- People start by being attracted to an interest for self-centered reasons.
- They become proficient at this interest through self-discipline and practice.
- They begin to understand how their skills can benefit the world around them, and they start to prioritize other people’s needs.
(Shortform note: These phases correspond to the three stages of grit we’ve explored so far—finding an interest, becoming proficient through deliberate practice, and finally, integrating skill with a purpose. We can thus see that purpose is an extension of passion, and that passion leads to purpose as it matures. In fact, many experts advise that the two are intimately intertwined, and that a person will only be truly passionate about something that gives their lives purpose—for example, when Simon Sinek advises, as we previously discussed, that you adopt a Just Cause in your pursuit of success, he argues that the reason it’s important to do so is that having such a purpose will inspire passion, not only in yourself but in others around you.)
Duckworth argues that because purpose often develops through this predictable process, you can consciously nurture it in your existing profession, thus turning your current job into a calling without changing jobs. The key is in seeing your tasks not just as obligations that have to be done, or as opportunities that will lead to personal success, but instead, as something that will connect you to a greater good—a larger purpose that serves humanity.
She uses the example of a man who took a job as an entry-level engineer working on New York City’s subway system. At first he took the job because he needed rent money and he had no better plan, but he ended up becoming more and more interested in the work and started to look for ways to deepen his knowledge and skills. He eventually came to see his work as a vital part of the city, helping to keep the trains running. Once he saw how he was making a contribution to society, he started to view his work as a calling.
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Like what you just read? Read the rest of the world's best book summary and analysis of Angela Duckworth's "Grit" at Shortform .
Here's what you'll find in our full Grit summary :
- How your grit can predict your success
- The 4 components that make up grit
- Why focusing on talent means you overlook true potential
