The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

by Jeff Goins

You have no control over anything, and in the end, you will look back on your life and understand there could have been no other way.

Maybe the worst way to be happy is to try to be happy.

camp, Frankl learned there are three things that give meaning to life: first, a project; second, a significant relationship; and third, a redemptive view of suffering.

Here’s how it works, practically. Look at the major events in your life and write them down on a piece of paper.

At times, I felt frustrated at having to do a certain task or answer yet another e-mail. It felt like I was being held back. But now I realize the truth. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t use some skill learned during those seven years.

we all struggle to commit to the work necessary to find our purpose. We are used to trying something out for six months to maybe a few years, then moving on. But a vocation is not like that. It’s not something you try; it’s someone you become.

As you avail yourself to how your life may be speaking, you too must decide. Will you wallow in regret, wondering why such a thing has befallen you, or will you choose to act, making the most of your obstacle, and allow it to evolve into an opportunity?

Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

we will encounter a number of people who will appear at times, ready to instruct, and it will be our job to recognize them.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Unwilling to try new things, we settle for good when called to greatness. Why do we do this? Because it’s easy. To push ourselves past what others expect, beyond what is normal, is difficult and sometimes awkward. But it is a necessary part of the process.

Second, the activity must not be “inherently motivating.” It has to be something you wouldn’t naturally enjoy doing.15 Think of it this way: if the practice is enjoyable, then you aren’t growing.

This is an important distinction when considering your life’s work. Most people won’t continue doing something they aren’t passionate about, especially when it gets hard. Putting an activity through painful practice is a great way to determine your direction in life. If you can do something when it’s not fun, even when you’re exhausted and bored and want to give up, then it just might be your calling.

You have to love the work to be able to persevere through those difficult times, those painful moments when you would probably rather quit.

The ultimate goal of practice is to reach a state of what K. Anders Ericsson calls “eminent performance,” when a person goes “beyond the knowledge of their teachers to make a unique innovative contribution to their domain.”

The myth goes like this: Your calling, if it comes at all, is something that arrives one day on your doorstep in a neatly wrapped package. You don’t have to worry about exerting any effort or anything; it will just work out. And if it doesn’t, then it wasn’t meant to be.

finding your calling, as mysterious as it seems, is not only a mystical process; it is intensely practical. You either act on what you know, or you miss your moment.

Humility is a prerequisite for epiphany.

Ben and Kristy were able to do all this because they understood the why behind what they were doing. They had a reason that went beyond themselves and their own comfort. This wasn’t just about them—it was about the difference they wanted to make. So when doubt crept into their minds, they didn’t get stuck or stop. They found a way.

Such is the reality for any journey of vocation. If your life’s work is only a dream, something fleeting and frail that’s never backed by action, it can only last so long. When difficulties come, and they always do, you will be inclined to give up and move on to something easier. But if your calling is more than a good idea and you’re willing to put in the hard work and persevere, taking bold steps along the way, you can stand firm in the face of hardship.

Every calling is marked by a season of insignificance, a period when nothing seems to make sense. This is a time of wandering in the wilderness, when you feel alone and misunderstood. To the outsider, such a time looks like failure, as if you are grasping at air or simply wasting time. But the reality is this is the most important experience a person can have if they make the most of it.

First you must be willing to recognize hardship as an opportunity to learn, willing yourself to push through failure. Second, you must be careful to not succeed at the wrong things. You have to pay attention to passion and beware of the temptation of success. It’s not enough to be good at something; you must focus on what you are meant to do. And appreciate that your understanding of that, over time, just might change. So be ready to make more pivots along the way.

But how do you know what you are “meant” to do? Seems like a chicken and egg problem

He ditched the dreams and instead became a person of action.

Hanging out in coffee shops and talking about one day being a writer or an activist or an entrepreneur is just about the worst thing you can do. It feels like work but is in fact destructive to the real work of realizing your dream.