Cal Newport

Cal Newport is one of my favorite  bloggers. A mathematics professor by trade, Newport is better known for his tips on studying, productivity, and careers.

After regularly reading his blog for a year, I decided to buy his book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You.” I was intrigued by the premise: if you want a great career, don’t worry about following your passion.

Newport’s book was an excellent companion piece to Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art.” Pressfield focused primarily on overcoming self-sabotage and focusing on your work. Newport describes how to turn your work and skills into a great career.

The most provocative rule in Newport’s book is “Don’t Follow Your Passion.” Newport systematically debunks the underlying premise of most career advice books – something he calls the passion hypothesis:
“The passion hypothesis claims that the key to occupational happiness is to first figure out what you’re passionate about and then find a job that matches this passion.”
Newport argues that approaching your work from a “passion mindset” is wrongheaded because your focus is primarily on the value your job is offering you. A focus on pursuing your passion “ultimately leads to chronic dissatisfaction and daydreaming about the better jobs you imagine existing out there waiting to be discovered.”