Ep. 39: DAVID EPSTEIN on Skills, Practice, and the Subtle Art of Cultivating a Meaningful Career
Oct 26, 2020
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David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of "The Sports Gene" and "Range," delves into the intricacies of skills and career development. He discusses the balance between specialization and generalization, emphasizing how diverse skills can create unexpected opportunities. Epstein critiques the oversimplified 10,000-hour rule, advocating for a nuanced understanding of mastery. He also shares insights on continuous skill acquisition, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges of science communication, all while weaving in anecdotes from his unique journey from science to sports journalism.
Continuous skill building is important, even if it means exploring different fields of interest.
Embrace discomfort and challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone for skill development.
Utilize existing skills in lateral ways to find fulfillment and happiness.
Evaluate productivity systems and address inefficiencies to reduce overwhelm and increase career satisfaction.
Deep dives
Importance of Skill Diversification
It is important to continuously invest in skill building and learning, even if it means exploring different fields of interest. Rather than staying focused on a single skill for the rest of your career, be open to sharpening multiple skills and be adaptable to changing opportunities.
Embrace Discomfort and Strain
Challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone and embrace feelings of discomfort. This deliberate practice of pushing yourself past what is easy or familiar is crucial for skill development and growth.
Consider Lateral Mobility
If you feel overwhelmed and distressed in your current career, consider exploring the possibility of utilizing your existing skills in lateral ways. Look for opportunities to apply your skills in a new context or field that may bring more fulfillment and happiness.
Address Overwhelm and Stress
If you feel overwhelmed and stressed, evaluate your productivity systems and seek to address any inefficiencies or sources of overwhelm in your work. Streamlining your processes and finding ways to manage stress can have a positive impact on your career satisfaction.
The importance of skill building and avoiding stagnation
It is crucial to take skill building seriously and constantly strive to learn and improve new skills. This may involve being disciplined, focused, and willing to embrace challenges and new opportunities.
Don't overly obsess about specific career paths or outcomes
While it is important to be intentional and proactive about skill development, it is equally important to avoid fixating too much on specific career paths or trying to predict the future. Being open-minded and adaptable can lead to unexpected opportunities and success.
Make time for skill building by being mindful of time-wasting activities
Many individuals have more time than they realize to dedicate to skill building. By being conscious of how time is spent and eliminating unnecessary distractions or activities, it becomes easier to make time for meaningful skill development.
Balance between deliberate practice and open exploration
Finding a balance between deliberate practice in specific areas and exploring new avenues of learning is crucial. It is important to be disciplined in honing skills, but also stay open to new possibilities and fields of interest for personal and professional growth.
In this episode of DEEP QUESTIONS we're joined by a guest host: David Epstein.
David is the New York Times bestselling author of THE SPORTS GENE and RANGE. I probably get asked questions about RANGE more than any other book by listeners of this podcast, so I knew we had to get David on the show to share his wisdom.
We talk about his career, his (short-lived) public feud with Malcolm Gladwell, and his research habits, but most importantly, we go deep on his breakthrough ideas about skills, practice, and meaning in careers -- answering many of your questions as well as a few of my own.
You can find out more about David at https://davidepstein.com.
To submit your own questions for this podcast, sign up for my mailing list at calnewport.com.
Thanks to our sponsor Magic Spoon (use magicspoon.com/CAL to receive free shipping).
Thank you to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music.
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