Sparked: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work that Makes You Come Alive

by Jonathan Fields

Overview

Discover your unique imprint for work that makes you come alive, fills you with meaning, joy, purpose, and possibility, then spend the rest of your life doing it.

We’re all born with a certain “imprint” for work that makes us come alive. This is your "Sparketype®," your DNA-level driver of work that lets you know, deep down, you’re doing what you’re here to do. Work that motivates you, fills you with purpose and, fully-expressed in a healthy way, becomes a main-line to meaning, flow, performance, and joy. Put another way, work that “sparks” you.

Sparked draws upon years of research, experimentation, more than 25-million data-points generated by over half-a-million people, and hundreds of deep-dive conversations with luminaries from science to art to industry and wellbeing. Award-winning author, serial wellness-industry founder, and host of the top-ranked Good Life Project®, Jonathan Fields, and his team at Spark Endeavors, developed the Sparketype imprints and methodology that is the basis of this book.

In this book, Fields and his team will help you:

• Discover what sparks you, what drains you, where you stumble and come alive, so you can reclaim a sense of direction, control, and purpose;
• Understand the “real” reasons certain experiences, jobs, and roles leave you empty and know how to make things better, without having to endure big disruptive changes;
• Learn from real-world, relatable stories, case-studies, and data-driven insights;
• Identify the action steps to begin immediately transforming the way you work and live.

Sparked takes you deep into the world of the Sparketypes, revealing an entirely new depth of insights about what makes you come alive in work life, along with what empties you out and trips you up, so you can avoid those life-drains.

You’ll discover tons of case studies, stories, and real-world applications, creating a comprehensive guide to help you discover what you are meant to do and how to get started.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400225460
Publisher:	HarperCollins Leadership
Publication date:	09/21/2021
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Fields is a dad, husband, award-winning author, executive producer, and host of one of the top-ranked podcasts in the world, Good Life Project®, which has been featured everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to O, The Oprah Magazine and even Apple’s iconic annual product event. Jonathan is also the Founder/CEO of Spark Endeavors and lead architect behind the Sparketypes®, an archetyping system and set of tools tapped by over 500,000 individuals and organizations to identify embrace, and cultivate work that makes people come alive, and equip organizations and leaders to more effectively unlock potential, motivation, impact, and joy.

Jonathan speaks globally to groups and organizations, and his work has been featured widely in the media, including The New York Times, FastCompany, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc., Elle, Allure, The Guardian, Mind+Body, and more.

Table of Contents

A Note from Jonathan xi

Acknowledgments xiii

What Should I Do with My Life? 1

The Maven 19

The Maker 35

The Scientist 53

The Essentialist 71

The Performer 87

The Sage 109

The Warrior 129

The Advisor 151

The Advocate 175

The Nurturer 199

Spark Your Work 219

Spark Your Life, Spark the World 239

Appendix 245

Sparked Resources 261

Index 265

About the Author 273

Editorial Reviews

'If you've ever wondered why you run into the same obstacles at work no matter your role or responsibilities, Jonathan Fields's new book offers you a precise road map for understanding this important truth: it's not you. It's your expectation that you should be able to do things the way others do. When you understand your unique Sparked blueprint, you encounter a world of possibility you had not imagined. Based on his years of experience as an entrepreneur and countless conversations about The Good Life with experts in many disciplines, he shows you the way to meaningful work, creative confidence, and the knowledge you are doing exactly what you're meant to.'

New York Times bestselling author of The Four Nobl Susan Piver

'The framework contained within this book has the revelatory power of one-on-one therapy or coaching, but instead of waiting years for a breakthrough, it comes in minutes. The more I learned about my Sparketype (and just as importantly, my Anti-Sparketype), the more I was able to put into words things I've always known deep down to be true but couldn't readily give shape to. As a business leader being constantly pulled in a million directions, I finally feel I have clarity on where I should put my energy, and permission to focus on where I'll have the most impact. I'll be getting copies for my whole team!'

Co-founder of Red Antler Emily Heyward

'This book has the capacity to shift the way we show up in the world. Jonathan Fields has created a groundbreaking tool that is profoundly important and necessary for each one of us. We often move through the world on autopilot hoping to one day find ourselves and better understand the work we're meant to do. In the meantime, life simply passes us by. Until now. Sparked offers the tools and insight into fulfilling your potential and purpose based on who you inherently are. It guides you to recognize what energizes and inspires you, but also offers insights into where you struggle most deeply. It is the compass that we all need, served up in a format that is both easily digestible and deeply insightful. It will bring about realizations, a deeper understanding of self, and much-needed inspiration, too.'

Cyndie Spiegel

'I've worked with a lot of models before, but no framework has gotten my community more aligned and on fire as quickly as the Sparketype model. It transcends jobs and roles to help people figure out the right game to be playing for them. Get the book, learn your Sparketype, and start finishing your best work today.'

author of the award-winning Start Finishing: H Charlie Gilkey

'Move over, MBTI! There's a new personality index in town. The Sparketypes will illuminate what work lights you up!'

New York Times bestselling author of The Book of A Neil Pasricha

'With over 25 years developing employees and creating great employee experiences, one thing has become clear: people want more than just a paycheck. They want to be excited, inspired, and have a sense of purpose. Sparked is the ultimate guide for leaders, founders, and those who want more out of work and life.'

Deb Josephs

'I've worked with a lot of models before, but no framework has gotten my community more aligned and on fire as quickly as the Sparketypeand reg; model. It transcends jobs and roles to help people figure out the right game to be playing for them. Get the book, learn your Sparketype, and start finishing your best work today.'
—Charlie Gilkey, author of the award-winning Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done

Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done

'This book has the capacity to shift the way we show up in the world. Jonathan Fields has created a groundbreaking tool that is profoundly important and necessary for each one of us. We often move through the world on autopilot hoping to one day find ourselves and better understand the work we're meant to do. In the meantime, life simply passes us by. Until now. Sparked offers the tools and insight into fulfilling your potential and purpose based on who you inherently are. It guides you to recognize what energizes and inspires you, but also offers insights into where you struggle most deeply. It is the compass that we all need, served up in a format that is both easily digestible and deeply insightful. It will bring about realizations, a deeper understanding of self, and much-needed inspiration, too.'
—Cyndie Spiegel, author of A Year of Positive Thinking, Founder of Dear Grown Ass Womenand reg;

A Year of Positive Thinking

'Move over, MBTI! There's a new personality index in town. The Sparketypesand reg; will illuminate what work lights you up!'
—Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation

The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation

'If you've ever wondered why you run into the same obstacles at work no matter your role or responsibilities, Jonathan Fields's new book offers you a precise road map for understanding this important truth: it's not you. It's your expectation that you should be able to do things the way others do. When you understand your unique Sparked blueprint, you encounter a world of possibility you had not imagined. Based on his years of experience as an entrepreneur and countless conversations about The Good Life with experts in many disciplines, he shows you the way to meaningful work, creative confidence, and the knowledge you are doing exactly what you're meant to.'
—Susan Piver, New York Times bestselling author of The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships

The Four Noble Truths of Love: Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Relationships

'With over 25 years developing employees and creating great employee experiences, one thing has become clear: people want more than just a paycheck. They want to be excited, inspired, and have a sense of purpose. Sparked is the ultimate guide for leaders, founders, and those who want more out of work and life.'
—Deb Josephs, Chief People Officer, Latch

Latch Chief People Officer

'The framework contained within this book has the revelatory power of one-on-one therapy or coaching, but instead of waiting years for a breakthrough, it comes in minutes. The more I learned about my Sparketypeand reg; (and just as importantly, my Anti-Sparketype), the more I was able to put into words things I've always known deep down to be true but couldn't readily give shape to. As a business leader being constantly pulled in a million directions, I finally feel I have clarity on where I should put my energy, and permission to focus on where I'll have the most impact. I'll be getting copies for my whole team!'
—Emily Heyward, Co-founder of Red Antler

Co-founder of Red Antler