Putting in the work
I know what I wrote last time resonated with a lot of people, but I missed something important. I need to set the record straight.
In the last post I described the process of focusing on the things you enjoy and are naturally inclined towards. That part holds true. I still believe that we have a unique set of talents and interests, and that when we are in touch with that we can better map our course.
Determining what you will focus on is vital. It’s like choosing what type of seed you’re going to plant. Do you want to grow a giant willow for decorative purposes, or an orange tree that will bear fruit? That determination takes time, and a certain amount of life experience. You’ll need to test yourself in a variety of activities and look for clues along the way, and even look to your childhood as I mentioned previously.
This is how I did it. After jumping around for 10 years after university, I realised that I need to settle on one thing. I needed a career path. I knew that if I kept jumping around I’d forever be a jack of all trades and a master of none. So I booked myself an Airbnb, a little cabin outside the city, in the foothills of the Dandenong ranges. I shut off my phone and went for drives through the forest and hiked along some trails. I wrote down my thought process in my journal as I weighed things up. I gave myself undisturbed time to think things over. I resolved to set myself a path during that retreat, one that I would commit to completely. In the end I chose to become an investor.
When you make a decision like that, you want as much as possible to be at peace. If you have peace of mind in that moment and a little distance from the pressures of every day life, you can make a good choice about which seed you’re going to plant.
Now here comes the rub. Conception is the fun part. Who doesn’t enjoy that? But bringing that brain (or actual) child to life and nurturing it once it is born… that involves blood, sweat and tears. No getting around it.
I think that’s the part I missed in my last post.
It’s going to be hard. Why is it hard? Only something that is hard and challenging can bring out the best in us. The qualities that we didn’t even know we had. Life isn’t designed to be easy, it’s designed to make us conscious. Or said another way, to make us everything that we can be. Every time you meet a challenge, you’ve grown just that little bit more. And the more you want to achieve, the greater the challenges that you’ll have to overcome. If we are not careful we tend to use our power to create a cocoon of comfort around ourselves. And inside we begin to whither. We have to fight that tendency.
The word enjoyment can be misleading because often it won’t feel fun. Sure there will be enjoyment along the way and eventually fulfilment as you do hit those achievements, but it won’t be a tea party.
In fact, it will take everything that you have. You’ll have to be relentless.
Having said that, it’s better not to label the challenges, obstacles and inevitable set-backs as ‘bad’. They are just part of the journey. With that attitude of acceptance, you can maintain an equilibrium, and do what needs to be done, without poisoning the waters.
I still make time for doing those things I enjoy, with no strings attached and no desired outcome, like playing music. But I’ve realised there’s no getting around putting in the time, and the work. And in that work there is greatness, as long as we have chosen the right seed to plant. That is the critical part. It is very easy for the ego to get too involved. I think you have to make sure you are choosing a course that comes from a deeper level and ideally one that uses your innate strengths.
In summary: choosing the right seed + putting in the work = happy days