The Wharton psychologist uses three simple questions to evaluate new opportunities, helping him focus on work that aligns with his values, strengths, and long-term goals.
Every successful career is shaped by a series of decisions.
Whether it’s accepting a new job, launching a business, writing a book, or pursuing a side project, the challenge is rarely a lack of opportunities. It’s knowing which ones deserve your time, energy, and attention.
For Wharton organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant, the answer comes down to three questions. Rather than chasing every promising opportunity, Grant relies on a framework that helps him evaluate whether a project is truly worth pursuing.
The approach, which he discussed on the WorkLife podcast, offers a practical way for entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders to make better long-term decisions.
1. Interest: Will You Be Excited to Work on It?
The first question is simple:
Will I wake up excited to work on this?
Every opportunity requires an investment of time, effort, and emotional energy. While financial returns often dominate decision-making, Grant believes enthusiasm matters just as much.
Projects inevitably encounter setbacks, uncertainty, and difficult days. Genuine interest becomes the motivation that keeps people moving when initial excitement fades.
If the work itself doesn’t energize you, sustaining the commitment becomes far more difficult.
2. Importance: Does It Align With Your Values?
Grant’s second question focuses on purpose rather than profit.
When evaluating ideas for a new book, he asks himself:
“If everyone understood this topic better, how much better would their lives be?”
Not every project needs to transform the world. But every meaningful opportunity should connect with something you genuinely value.
For entrepreneurs, that could mean solving an important customer problem.
For professionals, it may involve creating better products, improving services, supporting a team, or building long-term security for their families.
When work aligns with personal values, motivation becomes far more sustainable.
3. Impact: Can You Make a Unique Contribution?
The final question shifts attention from passion to capability.
Can I contribute something that others cannot?
Many worthwhile ideas already exist. Success often depends on bringing a unique perspective, experience, or skill to solving a problem.
Whether launching a startup, writing a book, or developing a new product, understanding what differentiates your contribution is essential.
Grant believes people are most fulfilled when their strengths naturally align with the challenges they choose to solve.
Why the Framework Matters
Many decisions are driven by short-term rewards, external validation, or fear of missing out.
Grant’s framework encourages a different approach by balancing three dimensions:
- Interest ensures the work remains personally motivating.
- Importance connects the opportunity to meaningful values.
- Impact focuses on the unique value you can create.
When all three align, opportunities become more than attractive. They become sustainable.
A Better Way to Evaluate Opportunities
The framework is useful for far more than choosing a book topic.
It can help evaluate:
- New job offers
- Business ideas
- Investment opportunities
- Career changes
- Partnerships
- Product launches
- Side projects
Instead of asking only, “Will this succeed?”, Grant’s approach asks a deeper question:
“Is this the right opportunity for me to pursue?”
That shift often leads to better decisions because it considers not only external outcomes but also personal alignment and long-term contribution.
For entrepreneurs and professionals alike, choosing fewer opportunities with greater intention may ultimately create more meaningful success than saying yes to everything.
Source: Inc
Adam Grant. Photo: Getty Images
