{"id":44649,"date":"2021-08-05T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T21:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=44649"},"modified":"2021-08-09T09:27:51","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T13:27:51","slug":"be-so-good-they-cant-ignore-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/be-so-good-they-cant-ignore-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Rule #1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you know how to be so good they can’t ignore you? How can you set yourself up to call the shots with your job?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cal Newport shares four rules for how you can be so good they can’t ignore you. Ultimately this leads to job satisfaction. The first rule is this: Don\u2019t concern yourself with passion. He debunks the \u201cpassion hypothesis\u201d and shows how following your passion<\/a> is the wrong way to pursue your dream job<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn how to be so good they can’t ignore you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, as author Cal Newport wrapped up his postdoctoral associate at MIT and started looking for a professorship, he began to wonder: What makes people love their work? As he waited to hear back about his job applications, he studied performance science<\/a>, interviewed people about their professional successes and failures, and tested out his hypotheses on his own career and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, he discovered that the best way to find or create work you love is not<\/em> to follow your passion<\/a>, as so many career counselors, books, and well-meaning mentors advise. In fact, the best way to love what you do is to become highly skilled\u2014to be so good they can’t ignore you. Then, you can offer your skills in exchange for work that allows you autonomy and the opportunity to change the world<\/a><\/strong>, two of the most significant contributors to workplace satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be so good they can’t ignore you, follow these four rules for loving your work<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Don\u2019t concern yourself with passion.<\/li>
  2. Instead, improve your skills<\/a>.<\/li>
  3. Cash in your skills for autonomy.<\/li>
  4. Cash in your skills for the opportunity to change the world.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Rule #1: Don\u2019t Concern Yourself With Passion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In this rule, we\u2019ll debunk the \u201cpassion hypothesis\u201d\u2014the idea that a job that lets you exercise a pre-existing passion is guaranteed to make you happy. While the passion hypothesis is popular, the author believes it\u2019s flawed for several reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reason #1: Scientists have uncovered three major discoveries that debunk the passion hypothesis<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n