In today's fast-paced, ever-evolving professional landscape, we're bombarded with advice on how to succeed in our careers.

Most of this advice is based upon what we can squeeze out of work.

What can I get from this job?

What opportunities will I be able to tackle next?

How much money can I make?

Most of the time we are so focused on what the world can offer us that we rarely ask what we can offer the world.

This is precisely the point of the Craftsman Mindset - the key to unlocking a meaningful and successful career.

Popularized by Cal Newport in his book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”(run, do not walk to get this one), the Craftsman Mindset is an approach to work and life that emphasizes a dedication to excellence, continuous improvement, and a profound sense of pride in one's craft.

As it turns out, when we focus on what we can provide the world (rather than what the world can provide us) we establish ourselves as experts in our domain and can create the leverage we need to find, or create, the job of our dreams.

That said, here are 5 ways to bring the Craftsman Mindset into your working world.

1/ Set Specific Goals:

Define clear and specific career and skill development goals. If you go to work every day with the sole goal of getting promoted and making more money you will:

1) Struggle to find fulfillment,

2) Be seen as a corporate climber by your colleagues and,

3) Probably fail to get the promotion altogether.

Instead, focus on the specific activities that would be deserving of a promotion and more money.

Show up early not to be a kiss-up, but to do that prep you know will go the extra mile.

Help your colleague with a report not so they owe you a favor, but so the project can be completed on time.

Go on that business trip not to win over your manager but to network and make industry connections.

You get the point, when you do the work for the right reasons, the career progression (and money) will follow.

2/ Embrace Deliberate Practice:

It’s relatively easy to get complacent at work - especially when we are good at it. Challenge yourself by taking on tasks and projects that push your limits.

The beautiful thing about a challenge is that over time, and with practice, it diminishes and the formerly “impossible” becomes commonplace.

Thus, the key to embracing deliberate practice is identifying when a challenge transforms into the mundane and modifying it as such.

Next time you get comfortable leading a staff meeting, try introducing a new workflow.

Next time you nail that Excel model, audit your work and see if there was an easier way to get the job done.

Next time you successfully launch a new product, ask yourself what you could have done better next time.

3/Attention to Detail:

This one is simple. People who are motivated by external factors rush through work and make errors.

People who are motivated intrinsically take their time to do the work the right way because they understand the implications of even the smallest mistake.

Choose the long way - especially when it is more difficult.

4/ Pursue Mastery:

Would you rather be promoted or be the best at what you do?

The answer should be clear, yet so many of us chase short-term promotions instead of long-term mastery.

Building a career and establishing expertise takes time.

It won’t happen in a year, 3 years, or even 10.

When you play the long game with your career you start focusing on different inputs.

5/ Value Quality over Quantity:

Prioritize the quality of your work over meeting quantity goals. Don't rush through tasks; instead, focus on producing the best possible outcome.

So many of us confuse busyness with productivity.

They are very different.

Just because you are doing stuff doesn’t mean you are doing the right stuff.

When you sit down to work every day ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?”

If the answer is yes, proceed.

If the answer is no, change your activity until the answer becomes yes.


When we shift our mindset from what the world owes us to what we can offer the world our perspective opens up.

The mundane becomes important and the routine becomes extraordinary.

Great careers are built upon earth shattering offerings.

What’s yours?



Until next time,

The TCK Team

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