Last updated on December 2nd, 2023 at 04:29 pm
A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career for Engineers and Technical Professionals
Rating
5/5
Date Started
10/25/2023
Date Completed
11/12/2023
Five Powerful Quotes from the Book
Quote 1
“I write in my journal every morning and every night.
“In the morning, soon after I wake up, I spend time writing about what I plan to accomplish that day, week, month, and year. I also write about who I am becoming. I write it in present tense.
“Sometimes I write about goals. And sometimes I write affirmations in the form of “I am” statements that I am working to make true. As I write them, they become more true for me each day. I then spend some time experiencing the feelings of what it is like to be the person I am writing about.
“I also use this time to brainstorm in my journal ideas for things I want to write or create, or ways to help my clients. Doing this in my journal rather than on my computer helps me avoid getting distracted.
“Writing by hand is also much slower than the speed of thought, so it forces me to slow down a bit, allowing my mind to explore more ideas than just the ones I’m writing at the time. It’s pretty cool.
“At night, I review my day, write how it went, and what I could have improved. I think briefly about what I want to accomplish the next day, and record no more than three priorities I will work on.
“Finally, I consider a question I want to ponder while I’m sleeping. Your subconscious is extremely powerful—your brain can solve a lot of issues while you’re sleeping. As Thomas Edison said, ‘Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.’”
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Quote 2
“I’ve seen countless people stuck in ‘analysis paralysis,’ mired in indecision because they were in between multiple good options. I’ve been there myself many times.
“But we can’t avoid decisions. In a very real way, to not decide is to decide…
“Personally, sometimes I have avoided making decisions in the hopes that someone else would make them for me. Then, if it didn’t work out, it wasn’t my fault, right? If my wife and I were trying to figure out where to go for dinner, I wanted her to decide. If I was making a decision at work, I wanted to find a group consensus so that the decision couldn’t be pointed back at me if things went wrong. If I was making a big life decision, I wanted to pray and ask God to tell me exactly what to do so I wasn’t responsible for what happened as a result of my choice.
“But abdicating responsibility is a feeble way to live. By being decisive and designing our own lives, we take responsibility and feel empowered.
“So enjoy the freedom you have with all the options and opportunities available to you. Then, make decisions to narrow those choices down and chart your own path forward with intention.”
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Quote 3
“Many engineers and professionals I talk to care a lot about the impact they make through their work. Will their work make lives better? Does the company they work for promote social values they believe in? What is the overall societal impact of the work?
“This is great! It’s fabulous to desire impact beyond the paycheck and to work on something that provides meaning in our lives.
“Yet sometimes we may be looking beyond the mark in regards to the impact we make. Does it really have to be just about the products and services we work on? What about the small impacts we make on those we work with, live with, and interact with on a daily basis?
“And what if we could actually change the world just by changing our own mindset?
“I believe we can, if we embrace an Outward Mindset, as taught by the Arbinger Institute.
“The Outward Mindset invites us to truly see people in our lives as people. When we do this, we treat them differently (usually much better). We care more about learning about others’ challenges, hopes, fears, and dreams. We are no longer only focused on our own cares and desires. We spend more time focusing on the team’s success, which encourages us to take actions that help others be successful.
“The opposite of an Outward Mindset is having an Inward Mindset. When we have an Inward Mindset, we tend to be self-focused and view others as objects, which can include seeing them as obstacles in our way or just a means to accomplish our own objectives. We may use others to achieve our goals, or we may not help others even if we feel we should, because we don’t believe they are worthy or we don’t see them as people who matter…
“To shift from an Inward to an Outward Mindset, start by assessing your views of others and reflecting on your priorities. Some questions you can ask include:
- “Do I view others as objects getting in my way? Or as a vehicle to help me get what I want? Or do I see them as people who matter like I matter?
- “Is reaching my goals always more important to me than helping others reach their goals?
- “Do I believe others are doing the best they can, and can I give them the benefit of the doubt when they act differently than I think they should?
- “Do I genuinely care about others and frequently show it through my actions?
“Additionally, you can identify people who make you feel your best and analyze what they do to show that they care about you. You can then make changes in your behavior to be more like them and cultivate an Outward Mindset. This shift in mindset can be life-changing and beneficial for both you and those around you.”
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Quote 4
“The idea of a genius zone is that each person has a special combination of background, expertise, attributes, talents, and passions that differentiates them from most, if not all, other humans on the planet…
“By combining all of your skills, attributes, and talents in different ways, you have many different genius zones.
“When you choose to do work that allows you to fully apply one or more of your genius zones, you are able to do your absolute best work…
“All of us have genius zones whether we recognize them or not, and we are also constantly creating and expanding our genius zones as we learn and grow.
“Ideally we’ll spend as much time in our genius zones as possible, but sadly, many of us rarely if ever create the opportunity to make that happen. We find ourselves getting stuck doing things we are good at… instead of engaging in our best work by utilizing our genius zones…
“To find your genius zones, reflect on and identify combinations of your natural gifts, experiences, and learned skills that, when combined, create your unique approach to life.”
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Quote 5
“Relationships matter. I’m increasingly convinced that it is impossible to have a meaningful, happy, and healthy life without great relationships. Certainly this includes our relationships with our spouse or partner, siblings, children, and other family members, but also close friends, collaborators, neighbors, and more…
“Always remember that you are trying to build relationships that are transformational not transactional—both you and the other person should benefit from the relationship! Together, you collectively get more out of your interactions than you ever would if you never met. That’s the spirit of any strong relationship…
“Have you ever found yourself feeling lonely in a room full of people? I know I have.
“This usually happens when I feel like no one there truly knows me or cares about me. The conversations feel surface-level and superficial. I can only ask and answer, ‘So, what do you do?’ so many times.
“Staying surface-level never deepens relationships. I have often felt insecure and afraid that if people knew the ‘true’ me, they would dislike me. So, I put on my best facade and tried to play the part I thought everyone wanted from me.
“But as I’ve come to find out, when I’m willing to be vulnerable and let others get to know me, I feel more connected. I feel seen. I feel known.”
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About the Book
Original Date Published
10/23/2023
The Intentional Engineer: A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career for Engineers and Technical Professionals – Ebook | Paperback – “Want to create more meaning, growth, impact, and joy in your engineering or technical career? Want to get clarity on the next steps in your career path? Wish you could better align your career and life while getting paid more and utilizing your greatest strengths? The key is to live your life with greater intentionality, which is what the book, The Intentional Engineer: A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career For Engineers and Technical Professionals, is all about. The Intentional Engineer shares Jeff Perry’s vast experience coaching and training engineers and technical professionals on leadership, career development, and intentional living.”
About the Author
Jeff Perry – “As a software, mechanical, and manufacturing engineer, I designed and developed a lot of products and processes. Now I build people. This is where my joy and professional satisfaction comes from—being a part of helping others succeed and grow.”
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Tags
Business | Nonfiction | Psychology | Self-Improvement