Master of One: Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do.
Jordan Rayner’s book surprised me. I picked it out, hoping to learn more about transitioning from a polyworking to focused work paths, only to discover it’s a Christian-focused career book. Exploring the topic of how God has put us on earth to be a master of one thing, we are designed to follow our purpose, is an interesting perspective. But even if the Christian theme doesn’t resonate with you, I promise you will find this book worth your time.
Jordan starts with his story of careering “all over the place” and being called out by his for his lack of focus.
Now, he doesn’t get preachy or egocentric, nor does he claim to be an expert in this field. Instead, he humbly describes himself as a young man pursuing multiple paths. His mentor explains, “If you really want to do well in life and figure out your purpose, then you need to become a master of one.” They both agreed that it’s not a give-up-all-your-interests-and-pick-one-approach, but rather a process of exploring your likes, your gifts, and your curiosity. And instead of a confusing ruse of self-reflection leading to an epiphany, he’s written a book that provides the tools to accomplish this process.
I tagged this book as a solution because it provided me with a great roadmap to go from all over the place in my encore career to becoming a Master of One (in progress).
The author walks you through how to become a master of one, beginning with discovering things you’re good at, experimenting with many different career paths, trying some, failing in some, succeeding in others, and then eventually getting to that point where you find one (or a couple that fall under an umbrella).
In each chapter, Jordan encourages journaling, asks hard questions, offers exercises to pursue, and always includes a related Bible verse. So, Christianity is consistently threaded throughout; in fact, he pauses quite a bit of his dialogue to reflect on a passage of scripture. One of the things that I love is how he reminds us that we’re all here to master the work that God has called us to do with excellence. This spiritual theme is worth keeping in mind as you enter this book.
Let’s set that aside for a second. This book not only helps you find your one but also how to channel it to serve others.
Say you want to be famous, be an influencer, rise the corporate ladder, or make millions of dollars, and that’s your one thing, then okay. But regardless of your chosen mastery, he shows you how to channel it to serve others. You’re going for gold, but it’s even better when you learn how it can positively transform others, even if it’s seemingly self-serving. Instead, pursue excellence and positively transform along the way.
Whether you work from home, lead a large organization, or pursue some creative or successful endeavor, you, like many of us, are probably conditioned to tie your identity to a career. You also want daily confirmation that you’re making an impact and are on Earth for a purpose. This book can help you figure out what that is.
Book and Image Courtesy of Penguin Random House
