Embracing Monochrome — And All the Small Things We’re Getting Wrong
Is doing limited things the best part or are you being a total alien to exploring?
Navigating life is hard, you know.
Before you judge this piece as philosophical or like I am about to lecture you for another hour, hear me out. Rest assured, it’s going to be neither.
Do you know what I like to do when everything feels fucked up (at least in my mind)? I write. I turn to the keyboard and a blank screen for my solace.
I turn to this publication, SERENDIPITY, to put my thoughts into perspective. It’s like an anchor that I like to hold and bleed words & thoughts into it. It’s so not me to talk it out. I like writing.
So with a cool playlist (instrumental) already plugged into my ears, let’s get the polished piece of some random rants and shit out. I hope you can take at least one useful piece of information out of it.
In a world of glitter and gold…
Being busy is the new cool. You are set to achieve a million things and god, that dopamine hit hits hard! It feels so amazing until it doesn’t.
If I reflect on my life, I can see how much I have grown by simply doing a few things for a long time. It’s like leverage I’d never want to let go of.
Writing and having a realistic mindset tops that list. Those things help me to be in control of my actions.
That new trend on Instagram of that viral video on YouTube distracts me a little less now. Damn, I’m starting to feel light already!
I tell you guys, I used to have quite the opposite belief. I was the one interested in all things. But not everything is worth it. That’s the sad truth.
In a world that is ready to sell you almost anything in the name of brand, trend, the new cool, the new normal, and whatnot, be the focused one.
In the words of Supritha Kamalanathan, “Let the brands do their job. Let’s do ours!”
Be aware of your decision. Factor in opportunity costs and sunk-cost fallacy before investing your time and energy into something.
It’s okay to jump on the trends. Nothing against them, honestly. But you do need an anchor to hold yourself in place and chase some long-term and worth-it goals.
10,000 Hours Rule
A popular theory of 10,000 hours says that we need to spend that much time to be an authority in any field. 10,000 hours, you guys!
That’s nuts! Even thinking about it makes me nauseous. 10,000 freaking hours!
Yes, we need not be masters in everything we put our hands on. But we do need a time commitment for everything worth it.
I spent a total of 56 hours learning to touch-type and it amazes me how much difference it has already made in my life. Cheers to small wins!
But would it have been possible had I not been consistent with it? No.
To tell you in all honesty, I am one big inconsistent boy who used to jump from one thing to another. That’s why embracing monochrome has always been a challenge for me.
I believe in being a generalist rather than a specialist, but at the same time, I am now convinced that I do need to dedicate a considerable amount of time to doing a few things.
Now that we are talking about monochrome and doing a few things, how can we forget Charlie Munger’s Circle of Competence?
We are excellent at a few things, good at a few more things, and absolutely suck at a lot of things. Having knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses helps you big time.
Closing thoughts
I am not sure exactly where I am going with this story, but I want to keep the limelight of “doing a few things exceptionally better” and be so-so in a lot of other things.
Being exceptionally good requires dedication, and that in turn requires time, effort and energy. There’s a trade-off happening.
You are not doing n other things when you decide to focus on one big thing you’re enthusiastic about.
So why not be appreciative of the devotion? Instead of feeling constant FOMO about the same?
That’s why I strive to maintain that streak of things I am good/excellent at doing. So I can become even better.
It does come at some sacrifice. But that’s okay. Everything in life is a trade-off, give and take.
Be creative, but do factor in that time constraint. Make things clear on an objective level that it isn’t possible to do everything at once.
On that note, I would like to bid goodbye. There’s this class I need to take and after that, I have to edit articles in theMUSINGS. Hope this article added some value.
To read more casual musings of a teenager, follow SERENDIPITY. Okay, bye!
