I think about fitting work in the same way we might think about other practices, often drawn from arts, games, or sports, like piano playing or baseball.
The first thing to ask is whether we have the right aptitudes. No aptitude, no fit. If you’re tone deaf, music is probably not for you. This kind of fit is what society needs: from a social point of view, each person should do that job that his or her aptitude fits best. This way, tasks get done quickly and efficiently.
That’s no small matter (how often do we wish to do what we are no good at!), but there is a second thing to ask about fit. There are lots of activities we might have an aptitude for, but cannot manage to identify with or enjoy. You might be very good at accounting.Yet you might not be able to think of yourself as an accountant, to take any enjoyment from the activity, to connect it in any deep way to who you are. Fitting work in the deepest sense means having an ability to realize and to enjoy the distinctive goods that your work offers. This kind of fit is what matters most on a personal level.
Source: Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge
Subjects: Career, Personal Development
Click to Add the First »