The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

something you try; it’s someone you become.
When we do this, when we don’t give ourselves fully to
the work we were born to do, we do the world—and
ourselves—a disservice. Commitment is necessary. It
teaches us to exchange instant gratification for long-term
reward and shows us that some change takes time. In
learning this discipline of staying the course, our character
grows. This is the payoff of patience, the joy of watching
something grow that wouldn’t have been had you not spent
all those years sticking with it.
But it’s not just about commitment; it’s also about
perseverance. You can’t find your passion if you don’t push
through pain. That’s what I learned from Jody Noland and
what Viktor Frankl’s research revealed: discovery comes
with dedication. We must seek to understand our suffering
with a redemptive worldview, choosing to see the greater
good in spite of the evil in this world. Otherwise, the
challenges we encounter will threaten to consume us,
leaving us to lives of cynicism and regret. We can’t get
caught up in the magic of what might have been—we must
move forward, pressing on when the hard times come.
There will, of course, be failure, but with that come
lessons to be learned. At times, you may commit to the
wrong thing, which is fine, because it’s better than the
alternative—nothing. Committing to the wrong thing is
better than standing still.
Another strategy, and a popular one, is to not commit to
anything. To hold out for better options, wait until the last