A Lot is A Little Every Single Day
WORK: How Do You See Yourself In 10 Jobs?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I hate that job interview question. The title version is my version. The version I ask during interviews. Why? Because my version is all about how you’ll likely feel after 10 jobs.
That annoying years-only version almost invites a response that includes a job title. I want to be a Director of Marketing. I want to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I HAVE DREAMS damnit! So let’s answer with a twist.
My response to “Mislav, where DO you see yourself in 10 years?” goes something like this. First, I need to stop myself from saying: “In a position to not have to answer stupid questions!”. When I do this successfully I usually come up with:
“I see myself putting 100% into each day, knowing it will lead me down the right path.” — this confuses people so they start asking about my goals. “Well, since you asked…”
My advice is that you shouldn’t let your goals be a certain title on a business card and focus on what you can do today. And, what would that title mean to you in 20 years, anyway? Likely, much less than HOW you spent that time.
We set distantly-achievable goals because that makes us feel better now. We create them because we want those things now, but can’t have them, so we need to have a comfortable roadmap guiding us. Problem is, with this approach, life gets in the way. And, especially for goals that are a few years from being achievable, nobody guarantees that once we get there, we’re still going to want those same things.
Hey, as a kid ALL I wanted was to be able to go to bed late. At 36, I can tell you that late is overrated. Early is where it’s at.
This is why I feel it’s just better to put one foot in front of the other, and just keep doing it. Day in, day out. Actually, you’ll want to kick each day’s ass — but that’s a good thing, because most days will be spent well. Your day is spent doing different things, so focus on them, do them well while you’re doing them. And don’t worry, you’re not a machine so you’re bound to have bad days where you can’t focus. Just remember, it’s a numbers game, baby! Good days will eventually win out and have a positive cumulative effect.
You change, so your goals have to change with you. Periodically check your coordinates, not to see how far along you are, but to see if going towards something still makes sense and will getting there still feel good. To put a finger on the pulse of your trajectory, if you will. If it doesn’t — it’s time to course correct.
This is the recipe. Do your best work every day, and you’ll organically get where you need to be. If not with one thing (maybe your current job) this approach will make sure you have other options, too. Whatever you do, look to do it well. Focus on it while you’re doing it. Hobbies, interests… hell, even grocery shopping.
Then, in 2–5 years, you’ll look back and be happy you’re anchored in a harbor on the water that likely still floats your boat.
LIFE: The Good Book
You know a book is fantastic when, as soon as you finish it, you wish you didn’t just turn the last page. This is how I define a good book (or good anything, for that matter). You know, to erase the words from your head so you can go in with a blindfold and enjoy it all over again.
Then there’s this other thing. Savoring.
I know I’m enjoying a book when, despite it being awesome, I am prepared to leave it after a chapter. I do this to artificially prolong the time it takes me to read it. To soak in what I just read. Extend my time with it.
We live in a culture of binge. Binge watch something great, you immediately crave for an equally good show to replace what you’ve just watched. And we watch, we search. Problem is, this model gets us hooked on a type of behavior that resembles addiction, rather than it being purposefully chosen.
Realistically, even in this era of content hyperproduction there is still a limited amount of great. A bunch of good, but only one Breaking Bad. Now, there’s Peaky Blinders. So, instead of giving Mayans a chance (please never ever start) while you try to find the next Sons of Anarchy, instead of spending two months with four mediocre shows, just extend your time with the one that really has you glued to the screen. Focus. Recap. Set a time in the day to watch that one episode with loved ones. Comment and discuss the episode.
Again, I know this doesn’t sound natural when you can binge like crazy but let’s talk about the benefits. You’ll have something really good to watch for longer. You’ll get hooked on less mediocre shows. You’ll actually watch the episodes and not spend half the time on your phone. You’ll spend less time doing just one thing. You’ll be pumped for that next episode, thinking about the cliffhangers and discussing them with the loved ones who live just a paragraph away.
Just because you have access to everything (and likely FOMO) doesn’t mean some things aren’t worth the extra attention. You can never recreate doing a thing for the first time. Unless you get retrograde amnesia, that is.
Oh, I know. How about this? If you’re REALLY looking forward to reading that awesome book before bed time, by limiting yourself to one chapter, you can have that feeling for a much longer period of time. You’ll have something to look forward to for the next month, not just the 3 days it would normally take you to finish it.
Touché, bingers!
MUSIC: Drink And Drive
All the talent, Cain got game, dropped 61 life ain’t the same.
Swish swish, bounce, sneaker squeal, my ass got signed to a Nike deal.Got picked high, and I was, called McFly,
big bitch in heels, the next Bradley Beal,
hops, buckets and delivery skills,
but my gravy train got biscuit wheels.Drink, drink drive, feel alive, text text phone, girl home alone.
Smoke puff puff, speed bump rough, the sound it made was grisly tough.Out the bar, now out the car, red paint scar on the handlebar.
Him or her, her or him, it don’t matter Cain hit something.
Woop woop blue, woop woop red, see them lights just up ahead
and a body in front - oh he dead.Drink, drink drive, feel alive, next call, phone, cell home — alone.
Smoke puff puff, speed bump high, my bail denied,
tell me God, how does Cain survive?Got no future, got no game,
I’m Cain the man, but Cain ain’t the same,
Shoe deal off, but own a killer label,
Can’t be soft but Cain’s not Abel,
with what was dealt to run the table.
Indeed it was, a season like no other,
Instead of the table, ran over a brother.Hand cuffs ruff, jail is tough, wish I stopped when had enough.
Them’s the breaks,
good used up early, pedal stepped on late,
With my cellie called Pearly behind locked up gates.
Wish I stopped, man curse this verse,
regret comes worse when you the hearse.Think and thrive, and he’s alive,
Abel still walks among the living,
Don’t drink and drive, career survived,
Cain in the league making a killing.
I did that rap thingy.
Mic drop.
