Recommended read: ‘How To Find Fulfilling Work’ by Roman Krznaric

My first stop on the career odyssey express was picking up a book that my sister-in-law lent me over a year ago, ‘How To Find Fulfilling Work’ by Roman Krznaric (thanks Rebecca!) Little did I know that languishing on the bookshelf feeling unloved, was the first significant key to unlocking inspiration for my journey. How ‘Celestine Prophecy’ of it.

Why is it such a good read?
Fundamentally, this book reassured me that I was not alone in my struggle with finding meaning in my work. Beautifully written, carefully worded and masterfully constructed, Krznaric takes us on a methodical investigation through history, philosophy and modern-day reality, challenging our ways of thinking and pointing out beliefs or approaches that need questioning. Wrapped up with relatable case studies, pertinent historical anecdotes and witty psychological observations, there is so much useful and thought-provoking content in there, as well as practical exercises to gently nudge you along your way. I seriously could not recommend buying this book enough. It’s truly brilliant and such a great tool to have whilst doing this work.

Top three learnings:

1) The concept of finding one job to rule them all is a myth; there is no “right” way or one true vocation waiting for us to discover it. Instead there are multiple pathways, each offering some degree of value and fulfillment and you’ve got to trust the process. Shedding limiting ideas that no longer serve us from school is perhaps necessary here (the old “you like science, you should be a doctor” mentality, for example).

2) Doing and exploring are key in learning about what we might want to do next and this takes time. Rather than jumping ship to a new career, instead test ideas out through volunteering, interning, shadowing or setting up a side hustle or “branching project” concurrently with an existing job. Otherwise how are we meant to know what we enjoy?

3) Experimenting wildly and overcoming your fear of failure is a great gift when exploring career options, as the magic happens when we’re out of our comfort zones, doing new things and learning about what we like and don’t like in the process. As the book concludes:

“Most of us live bound by our fears and inhibitions. Yet if we are to move beyond them, if we are to cut the rope and be free, we need to treat life as an experiment and discover the little bit of madness that lies within us all.”

The other hugely valuable thing I gained from this book was three of the activities he suggests going through to provide insight, inspiration and ideas for a future career path. I’ll go into these in more detail in future posts.

But first, check out this YouTube clip which gives a brief overview of the book’s content and key messages:

Also, just buy the book, you won’t regret it.