Last year was a crazy rollercoaster, and the beginning of this one hasn’t been different. I forgot what it’s like to be idle and not having anything to do. Sure, it’s nice to have an interesting life, but I’ve been noticing that such a fully packed with events being is blurring my vision. I start losing direction, and I don’t know where I go anymore. Or, to be more precise, where I really want to go instead of the actual direction I’m taking.
Life is full of opportunities, and this is all nice and well until you have to pick something. The problem is, you can’t pick everything. In pursuing several directions, there is a danger of being mediocre, as mediocrity is born out of trying many ventures instead of focusing on one.
Imagine you have to pick a physician. Who do you make an appointment with: someone whose practice is approaching seventeen years in one specific field, or a specialist with a wide range of knowledge? Maybe knowing a lot of things is great, but I would prefer somebody who has spent their entire career studying the issue I’m worried about. If you work with one subject for seventeen years, you probably know all its ins and outs.
Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” The guy must have known something about mastering this life, I assume.
So, in order to achieve anything significant, you have to choose. You have to sit alone, and contemplate your inclinations, and listen to yourself.
All these things are impossible if you are running wild all the time. If you are busy all the time, you take opportunities as they appear without thinking about whether they actually bring you close to your ultimate goal or lead you astray.
To stay on track, you have to analyze your every move. For this, my friend, you need time. You need to slow down and look closely at your life, and ask yourself uncomfortable, challenging questions.
If I keep living like this, where will I be in five years’ time? In ten years’ time? What about the end of my life?
Is it where I want to be?
Why am I doing what I’m currently doing? Is it my choice? Or was it imposed on me?
Am I choosing my life, or I’m simply stuck in my routine?
Are the things I do every day bring me closer to where I want to be?
Asking yourself these questions is uncomfortable because you might get uncomfortable, disturbing answers.
Ask them anyway. Find this time, because it’s not enough to work, and grind, and grow all the time. It’s important to progress in the direction you have chosen, in the field that touches your heartstrings, that brings out the best in you, that inspires you.
That is why, my friend, it is crucial to slow down.
