The Magic of Doing Good Work

Today, it's popular advice to say do what you love, do what you like, do what you have genuine interest in.

I agree that it's ideal to spend the bulk of our waking hours doing things that we truly enjoy. But until we attain financial freedom, I believe we should also strive to do something we're good at.

What does it mean to say, "something we're good at"? First, we must feel that we're good at what we do, that we're providing real value via a useful product or service that improves quality of life for others. Second, it should be clear that others also feel that we're good at what we do.

If the world doesn't find sufficient value in what we are doing, there won't be enough energy coming back to us in response to our work to sustain continued output. The energy that we are looking to graciously receive in response to our work comes in various forms, the primary ones being income, a sense of personal fulfillment, and a feeling of being meaningfully connected to others.

So when considering what we are good at, let's remember that being good at something doesn't mean being better than others at it. Rather, it means that we feel good about how we are using our time, and the world does as well, as evidenced by the energy that flows back to us.

What if we love what we are doing but there isn't enough energy coming back for us to continue? This could mean that we're not quite meant to be doing this work, at least not yet. Or it could mean that we haven't found a way to reach those who need our work.

In economic terms, we say that the market will tell us how viable an operation is. The exchange of energy on any scale always involves a calculus between demand and supply. Ideally, we want to develop ourselves in a way where we can be good at something we enjoy, and that there is sufficient demand for. My life experiences have consistently shown me that over a few years, the market will always let us know if what we're doing is sustainable.

For those who haven't found this kind of work yet, my suggestion is to work diligently at the best option that is available to you - over the course of 1-5 years of studying or working at something, even if you never grow to love it, you will learn things that will be valuable to you and your loved ones for the rest of your years.

To the magic of doing good work,

Ben