Don’t be a donkey

Haha - love the photo! Oh the advice is good too! ;-)

... and what if I'm not 25 anymore?? ;-)

Derek, You always expand my horizon and give me a broader perspective. Thank you for being exactly who you are~
Fondly,
Stephanie Kathan
Host of "The Journey"

Most people who excel at anything at all have done so only by long term planing and practice.
Consider the artist, musician,writer,sports person.
They all accomplished their goals at the passing of many years.
There are no quick fixes in life.
Politicians do not qualify in any part of this poor world.

I've been called a jack-ass before, but I don't think it had anything to do with my inability to view the future. No matter, I still enjoyed this, Derek!

Just the reminder I needed, Derek! Thanks!

Once again Derek - insight and words of wisdom - even for old dudes like me! I have just finished my day job and am focusing on music for 10 or maybe more years if I am lucky.

great article. I spent years trying to do many things at once, not realizing there was only one thing I wanted to do... and now I do that one thing and nothing else (apart from being a mum!) I feel like I am making real headway!

Make sense, I get caught up in this myself. In such an on-demand world where we get everything instantly it's easy to forget that some things just take (and need) time to manifest themselves.

There are some alternate directions that benefit from working on them "a little" while still pursuing a current direction.

For example, I have aspirations to contact juggling. Don't have the time to pursue it whole-hearted at the moment. But, I believe doing fifteen minutes a day is a huge help for my eventual immersion.

Reason for this is that contact juggling requires tremendous finger strength (more than you might think from watching it.) So by doing a little each day I am able to build the strong hands I will eventually need when I go into full time. Besides it helps keep my fingers limber for the bass :)

My problem is being to lazy to get started on any projects. I need that extra push and tense feeling to get something done. Great advice though.

i think this is Part B to your "Be an extreme version of yourself" advice, but the extreme version of myself at 25 and now at 34 have changed quite a bit though i feel i am still the same person, only slightly more self realized i guess.

when faced with 2 things i cannot decide between, i try to think of what i would wish for if i did not have either option, it helps me make up my mind

we love you, Derek;

Peter & Elizabeth

Funny thing, I'm turning 25 next week and this is exactly what I needed to hear, being capable of pursuing many things at once I need to cut down that list to just a few, or even one like you say. Assuming too many roles gets stressful and not very productive. One of my tasks for this week was to go over the list all things I do and choose the essential ones, saying no to others, being focused on just 2-3 things.

Thanks for this post, it is a great reminder for me.

Ok, that's funny, because I JUST put up a photo over my desk of half a donkey with a red circle and slash. NO HALF-ASSING.

Yes. I do believe I've stuffed all I can possibly handle in this year. Thanks for staying in touch and sharing what you know. :)

And if you are sixty, there could be one or two more projects, seventy maybe another new career. When the church sent daddy to leadership training when he was 92 he said "I sure hope they get something back on this investment..."
Glad you are posting again. So sorry I didn't try to find you when you were in the northwest, Auntmama

I'm in complete agreement. With a potential century-long productive life - it's less a question of 'if' and more a question of 'when'.

I wrote a similarly themed post back in August - The Runway Extends Beyond the Horizon

Yes! And if you're 40, 50 or more - don't think it is ever too late - because is is not....You can still make long term plans because let's face it....we never run out of ideas of things to do in this life! Older people are reinventing themselves all the time - even at 70!!

Perfect timing for me.... Historically patience has been my nemisis. Though the universe conspires to help me with this lesson on a daily basis :-)

I'm always surprised by the goals that have been accomplished....all in due time.

Thankful all my ideas have not born fruit at the same time, It would have been insane.

Taking that proverbial leap of faith to take action instead of spinning in mind circles of all the awesome possibilities.

Focus, this is my work right now.

Yeah,

I've been feeling the same way recently. I used to do so many things at once, to only realize now that you won't get far if you do too many things at once.

I've been considering something like a black swan approach (have something stable 80-90%, and use my free time to experiment 10-20%), but with my life and ideas/projects.

When I get some more stability and good habits in place, I can move the slider over more.

It reminds me of this article I just read by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/amazons-bezos-innovation

I need to put that photo on my desktop because, sorry to say, I currently am a donkey. Thanks for the insight!

Uuuuugggghhhh.....

then there is this,

The unseen but very real diobolical biological clock, which adds a surprising element, and does run out.

Throw that in the mix and the pressure builds again.

Derek - you're email is both timely and thoughtful, thanks for taking the time to post this... I often get too many projects, lead ideas, or ideas for new revenue streams all at the same time and need to remind myself to step back, look at the big picture and ask myself "What is it that I truly want to accomplish over the next 5, 10, 20+ years" and keep focused! Too often I think entrepreneurs / musicians (including myself) use the shotgun approach to try and hit something when often it's the rifle that provides the best chance for success :) Glad to see you're posting again, thanks again!

Another inspirational person once shared a similar analogy with me: It's as if you're stranded in a desert and have no idea which way to go. The fact is that you have to start walking in some direction, any direction, otherwise you're gonna burn/starve/die in that same spot in the desert. However you want to put it, it's great advice and your twist on it was very timely for me. Thanks

This is true. And as you go it is a positive curve mentally. That is if measured in units for the sake of argument you might have 2 units then a year later 4, 2 years later 7 etc. This is because the more you learn the more you get to compound these processes. Child prodigies exist in narrow subjects where the child can just get great at spelling, chess, etc. but never in things that use multiple disciplines. In other words, while you are declining physically, if you plug away you get enormous advantages over time. So you can plan to do many great things.

This concept is akin to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique blown up to decade scale.

I love your analogy.

Great advice Derek, but I was curious about how far you think this principle should be applied. Field of study/career choice is what I'm assuming you are referring to in the piece, but does it go deeper than that?

I guess to be more specific I'll tell you why I'm asking: I'm a musician (drummer), but I want to expand my skillset. I am starting to fiddle around with recording, and learning electronic production techniques, and also I'm learning vibraphone to give me a gateway into melodic instrumentation. They all connect to one another, but does one risk stretching themselves too thin?

Your thoughts (and anyone else would wants to chime in) on this would be very welcome.

Ryan
Very good point! It doesn't have to be 10 years. Imagine you spend the next 6 months learning everything you can about recording/production. Then after you've got a solid base in recording/production techniques and are starting to use what you learned, perhaps take up vibraphone when you've got spare time again. — Derek

Very true, all 'round. There is also the half donkey (I suppose that would be half-assed) where decisions are made, but not full hearted commitments. Making a commitment often involves risk and may be scary, yet the alternative will be scarier to face years from now.

Great story, but hard to put into practice. We don't act moved by our rational thoughts but rather, by our emotions.

Expanding on your idea Derek - If you are young, at least do try many different directions. I was very concerned when, in 9th grade at her magnet school for the arts, my daughter was told to pick one thing and do it. One program only. Visual arts students were not allowed to take dance or performing arts. They were told that, to be good at one thing, they had to do only one thing. How soon in life as adults we will be stuck in some life cubicle, and told that we are to do one thing all day. I disagreed with this restriction. We left that school after a year, and this past year, in 10th grade, my daughter has been in early college. She thrived, making excellent grades in academics, taking visual art and also taking the modern dance and jazz she loves. Next year she will add more theater. She is talented in many areas. Who knows what the future holds or how many doors will open? Yes, we can't be so scattered we don't complete things. But we should be well rounded, find a balance in life, try many things, and learn about new things to see if we like them and can do them well. If spreading it out over time, helps accomplish things, then this may be a good solution to time management. Just don't restrict yourself, especially when you are young. Learn to focus on one thing at a time, but don't close yourself off to new ideas and new opportunities to be such a specialist in any one thing. Love to all, Sarah

...you name is under the pic of the donkey, but I am assuming that's not you, Derek. :-) Just kidding...could be me.
...as a mentor of developing leaders on several continents, I could not agree with you more. I've found it helpful to encourage people, of any ethnicity, not just western thinking, to look at life in thirds...and do just what you've suggested.
...thank you for encouraging us all forward, even a man like me who is fast approaching 70.

I struggle with this all the time. Doing just one for a few years isn't really an option, as my tasks include:

1. A freelance business that has a decent chance of making some money (but if it doesn't, replace #1 with "day job").

2. Responsibilities involving another person who needs me to stick close to home.

3. A band that is not a steady source of income (touring would be very difficult because of #2).

#2 is a constant. #1 is necessary and can't be dropped. I have no intention of dropping #3.

My combination of things to do is a little unusual, but the conundrum isn't. Many people are parents. Most people don't wait until they're independently wealthy to have kids so they can stay home with them. (Families with enough money can opt for one parent to stay home, but usually at least one of them works.)

Your advice is pretty good, really, in certain circumstances. What would you tell people who have to juggle?

P.S. Per your recommendation, buying _Getting Things Done_ is on my list of things to get done. :)

Wow, just reading the thoughts and posts by this community is inspiring in and of itself.

Powerful way to start an awesome conversation Derek.

Hi Derek,

Nice posting, but do want to point out that some people do make better progress working on multiple projects at once. :-)

You are a donkey if you are 85. Or you will if you change your mind after 60 years about the last thing you want to do:)

I am going to start filling my glass 1/2 with Pepsi and 1/2 with Coke. That way I can have both or do both things at the same time.

A friend changed his sleeping schedule to two long naps 45 min. and two short naps 15 min each day along with 3 hours solid sleep. He had enough time to keep a day job and moonlight in construction all night long. It worked for him.

It would be easier to just focus on one at a time.
Dan

Hmmmm not sure on this one Derek. Are you sure it was a Donkey and not an ass? We don't have the future - but we do we have the now. ;o) Some people I know thought they had a future but sadly it was taken from them......

Derek,
You Rock!

Freeing
From any crazy overwhelmin' thing
Stress-Releiving
Empowering
" I think I can
I think I can "
Step by Step
Irregardless of age

Thank You
Sir !

Best advice I've heard in a long time, actually the answer to something I've been looking for, for quite some time, now it seems so easy to see ahead, instead of always worrying about which one I should do or attempt first, excellent!!!

Great timing and so right on.
I am doing it in projects, or at least trying.
Thanks for the book recommendation too. Love it so far.

Lorisong

Focus on one thing at a time as Derek advises - but within that thing plant 1000 seeds to see which ones bloom!

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is rumored to have been in 5 bands total when NIN was just starting out - even he didn't know which band and songs would stick.

However, he did have a broader 'framework' (songwriting) that focused his energy in one area. Within that structure he was free to write hundreds of songs in multiple genres and see which ones crowds responded to the best.

I think all of us can learn from and apply Reznor's 'focus on one area but plant seeds' approach.

As the founder of a software company I enjoy applying Reznor's methodology to conversations with prospective customers. To do this I make slight adjustments to the way I describe my company and our product. This way I am able to gauge which type of pitch 'catches' the most while remaining focused in one area.

So - focus on one thing (building a great company/brand), but create 1000 songs (products or whatever), and see which ones bloom.

Ee-haw!

I have found you can do it all but not all at once. Life happens and sometimes the best intentions and practice till perfection are trumped by an act of god or idiotic human nature. Shit happens. How we react and ultimately recover is what leads the path. Some passions are a carry forward and some dreams turn in to nightmares. Enjoying the process is key and riding the wave that one is currently on tends to create a chance to make the most of it. Do what you love and give as much of your talents as you can to share. The more you give the more you get. A donkey doesn't know how to give.

Sometimes you can do more than one thing -- and look to the future. There may be a common center with diverse applications. It's a matter of perspective; is strategic action or a tactical approach most practical for the moment? If you look beyond the list -- a pile of particulars -- and see process and principle, progress is much easier to measure. It all flows in one direction or another. A list, on the other hand, is just a list -- stuff to knock off and stuff that's still there.

I love your perspective Derek. It always gives me a new outlook. Thanks so much!

Wow, this is right on with what I've been struggling with lately. Thanks for the insightful posts! Off to read the next one you linked to!

Perfect! You have such wisdom Derek. I so appreciate all your insight and wisdom you lay before us... I am thrilled that you are back! I have missed these pearls...

Thanks so much!
Dorie Pride

PS. Thinking hard on that question... Look out! It is coming :-)

Another wonderful insight. Thank you!

Hey - thanks Heaps Derek, great answer to my question. I do get a must-do-everything-now mindset sometimes.

You're right - life is long, and the long term view works best - in the long term.

many thanks from NZ!
- Naomi

I literally JUST had this conversation last night with someone...I have many passions and many skills that lead me to do too many projects at once. I decided this morning to apply myself fully into one direction so that doors will be opened up into other avenues that I want to travel down. Thanks for your perspectives.

I'm 53, and at the end of this month, I'm finally leaving the corporate cube farm to turn my part-time passion into a full-time dream job (before I get too old to remember what my dream initially was!) It's exciting to realize the culmination (for this point in time, anyway) of my dream, after years of, as Derek said, doing first one thing, then another - all just different roads to lead me to my ultimate destination. Now it's time to dream new dreams and keep on expanding my horizons, one thing at a time! Deep breath, big leap of faith, and here I go!

Thank you, Derek. I'm actually 25. And I've been trying how to pick one thing to do while I'm interested in pursuing several. This really helps.

Hi Derek, Nice to see you back in a regular communication again! Just curious as to what your current focus is?
Heeeee Haaawwww!

Excellent advice. I have been an artist, a cartoonist, a musician, a singer, a songwriter and now a published author of horror fiction.

At one time or another I focused for several years on each. None of them ever took off to the level which I wished they had, but I still loved doing each.

Then I finally focused on my writing and am now becoming fairly successful at that. Plus now at the age of 55 I have enough life experience to be able to still focus on my writing yet still have time for my art and music.

Wow, this hit my life right on the head of the nail! I teach guitar at a college and at a local music store, getting into orchestral writing/film scoring, writing for a serious metal project, and own a web design firm. Unfortanetly I do have to keep multiple plates spinning because many of these things are already in motion. One of the things they teach in time management is to focus on only one thing at a time when working -- this makes a big difference.

Well put.

Timely words for me, Derek, thank you for sharing them. Last month I just announced my retirement from the PRIZM Ensemble so I can pursue other interests. I've been playing the piano for 40 years and accompanying for 35 years--its time to do something else for a while!

Keep in touch!

P.S. I strongly recommend reading the novel:
"Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" and the trilogy of books beginning with "Portuguese Irregular Verbs"!

Well put Derek! I like the part about dying because of not being able to choose. Do something even if it's wrong. Jesus will forgive!

The message of thinking long-term and placing less emphasis on trying to pack in too many achievements in one year is vital to society's overall wellbeing. I connect this to the instant gratification that has become embedded in how many people lead their lives. It has special applications to organizational leadership and North America's myopic focus on short-term results, heavily discounting the future.

Let me redirect the thread to focus on the way we were all brought up, the way we were "educated" which in my opinion restricted the way we think and are able to solve problems.

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Man, you nailed it. that is me and I am getting old..but only in years. The music keeps evolving and growing but mostly in my bedroom. thanks for the article!
and to the poster above who said enjoying the process is key.

Hum.. it looks like I'm the donkey then :)

Luckily my wife loves donkeys, she went to donkey sanctuary and got a licence for handling one. (I am not joking)

What if you only have half year, have kids&wife and are in a situation where you can't possibly stand anything more than that?

I hedge my risk and do more projects at once. It's good to get some distance from the project for clearer view from time to time, and to process things in background and give users time to figure out what's really needed next.

My style of work fits me, I love it.. but it's quite possible that everything is taking a lot longer this way (with a little less risk hopefully). Nice article, got me thinking.

great to hear your virtual voice again Derek!!!

funnily enough the logo for our new album is a donkey. oh my!

he does have wings though. hopefully he represents transcendence of the jack-assed way we used to do things

Xie-Xie Derek ;)

foresight and patience,,,,,,,,I'm gonna try!

Hi Derek! I'm reminded of that old saying, "If I had known I was gonna live this long i would have taken better care of myself!" I say that when you keep doing all the things you are truly good at, one good piece at a time, you will continue to grow and learn, even if you're already very talented. I would in the long run rather be like the hummingbird who keeps flitting from flower to flower in search of variety and survival than be like the donkey who can't make up his mind and dies an early death. Bill

I have actually been living this way since I first heard an interview with George Plimpton on television many years ago as a child.

His idea to try everything you're interested in for a little while instead of doing the same thing forever - it became my life direction.

When people asked 'What do you want to do when you grow up?" I would say "everything at least once" - they were often not amused. In my early working days, I was told my resume showed a "lack of focus"...as years went on, the word 'multi-tasking' appeared and I was the 'in' thing.

As more years went by, I was able to really hone in on what gives me the most joy. I was able to try most everything that interested me and now can focus on the two or three things that I've found the most fulfilling.

Cool thing is, I am able to combine a couple of my favorite things together as yet another twist for the next 5-10 years...

So, yes, I've done it as you suggest, and also I've done several things at a time. It seems to work okay either way if you can truly focus, shut out any impatience or self-doubt and can teach yourself to enjoy making mistakes.

I needed this right now.

Thank you!

Kamal

blessthemicmagazine.ning.com

I have found you can do it all but not all at once. Life happens and sometimes the best intentions and practice till perfection are trumped by an act of god or idiotic human nature. Shit happens. How we react and ultimately recover is what leads the path. Some passions are a carry forward and some dreams turn in to nightmares. Enjoying the process is key and riding the wave that one is currently on tends to create a chance to make the most of it. Do what you love and give as much of your talents as you can to share. The more you give the more you get. A donkey doesn't know how to give.

Very insightful...definitely my problem as well!

Very well put. This hits home.

Derek, Really interesting...the best of both worlds... advise for conscientious minded individuals to achieve their strategic goals...presented in a positive light...sounds like a plan!

As a longtooth (56), I appreciate Derek's sentiment. I am coming to what I've always wanted to do - write fiction - 35 years after I dreamed of it (and studied it at UVM in the 70's).

Not that I made a mistake not pursuing it then, because you do have to have life experiences to inform your stories, but going after it earlier wouldn't have hurt either.

Music is the other pursuit I avoided too long, too - and THAT is probably the single most significant aspect of my current life that makes me happy, daily.

Greetings dear Derek,

Thank you for all your noble works.

Blessings of light, Ahmad

This is a one-sided proposition, in that it makes no difference what you choose to get the water. You may choose be be a simple beat wordmaster, even though a major part of your heart is in the blues, but you still need to align yourself with a slice of the populace that likes what you do, so you get known that way. Unless you have a major blowaway success, this will not influence the majority unless there are other acts and bands coming up with the same thing around the same time. This is how a trend is started.
Please forgive the wordiness of this message, but it's hard putting these ideas into neat little packages
So, here's my take...
It's better to go on playing the way you have been all along. Just think that there will be people listening and liking it as long as you do.

The future does not exist. If you need to do something there is no time like the present. It's all you have.

If that is true for an individual,(future focus) I wonder if it applies to a group working together collaboratively and creatively together. Can we "exponentialize" our capacity for creating things when we work together. I think so!!
Thanks Derek and Deep thinkers for your thoughts

Derek,

Great to have you back! Been busy, but reading every line you have sent me so far. This is especially good advice and applicable to everything. Wish I would have adopted this at 25!

We can possibly add to check if we are getting any closer to the bucket of water or able to get to another chew on the hay - adjust your plans as you go according to how much closer you are realizing your ultimate agenda for self.

Keep it coming!!!
Thanks,
Annie

Sounds exactly like what I do everyday. I appreciated that article because it made me recognize the self destructive things that I do all the time. I always start projects just to put them down the next minute for a new project or hobby that just "needs" to get done. I think I will give long-term planning a try.

Some great comments here everyone...

I may stand corrected, but I don't think that Derek was suggesting we couldn't do more than one thing at a time - we all have to?!

I take it as I can plan to meet goals/dreams that will take me in several different directions in the course of my life.

And this is giving me hope and inspiration and I am far beyond the 25 mark.

Thanks again...

I believe you mentioned in another post to go with the gumption. Work on/do the thing that you want to do, at the moment when you feel inspired. I think that is important to remember when reading this new post. Cheers from Taiwan!

Hmmm! It occurs to me that the donkey is in very serious trouble. He can't choose between 2 things that are necessary to stay alive.
I think the metaphor would work better if the choice was about what he/she really wants. For if one knows what one wants, then it is a simply a matter of how to get there, Time -past (memory),present (reality)and future(imagination)- are the space that we function in and should be used as a part of the creative process. Remembering that life itself is a creative process. Age is irrelevent!

Derek! You're such an inspiration! This is exactly the answer for the question I've bore in my mind for recent couple of years. A big big thank you from Seoul, South Korea.

From reading these comments... I get a sense that some people commenting feel 'held back', 'limited', or 'constrained'. I think that most of us know what we really want to be doing, and it's a shame if we find 'reasons' to justify not doing that, or putting it off ! I'm wishing everyone who's responded here the nerve to make the move NOW... to do what they most dearly want to do NOW. And no... 'finances', or lack thereof, is not an acceptable excuse. I bet that Derek didn't really have suitable finances to start CD Baby... but he did it anyway (?) So do it now folks ! No waiting please. Best wishes to all...

Mr.Derek! you are unique real Man!!!

This was an awesome post! I loved the quote:

"Most people over-estimate what they can do in one year, and under-estimate what they can do in 10 years."

Good one Derek..

Derek,
Donkeys are not this stupid!
Martin

Fantastic article! I feel this struggle everyday running a one-stop recording studio, video production, CD/DVD duplication facility. Working on a marketing plan is a challenge, cause we can't target everyone for everything at once. Your advice helped me solidify the decision to focus on only one of the things we do at a time. Not for 10 years at a time, but at least for six months. A year would probably be better? Thoughts, anyone?

This is vintage Derek. Good one.

We all have some unique dream that we must pursue. Those finding what their dream is early in their lives have a head start on those that don't know what their dream is. I believe we all will eventually know what our dream is no matter how long it takes to realize it even if it never comes true. Thanks for the inspiration, Derek.

Thanks again for this great article. After losing both of my parents now, I think I am finally realizing that the past is to be cherished, learned from and where necessary forgiven. To paraphrase a friend of mine, "Look back but don't stare". The present is truly a gift and a responsibility to use it well. And the future? It really is about balance isn't it? (and discipline ah, yes, back to discipline)

I find it quite amazing that I had been thinking about you lately and I was so presently surprised and happy to see your emails. And just what I needed to read.
You are such an inspiration and a gift to those of us that are still trying to stay true to ourselves.

Thanks for the inspiration, Derek! You can do different things, but you can't do them all at ones at the same 'satisfying' level. Even for just yourself.

Sometimes people say that I do so many things it dazzles them. Then I say: "Yes, but because I CAN, I don't do them all at once!"

If you can do several things, it can also be an advantage. If for example you are self-employed, and in your industry it doesn't go well economically, because of heavy cuts, you can try out something else. And go back if the branch you prefer the most 'flourishes' again.
The same if you get fired from your long time job and cannot find one again in the same business. Experience, age etc. can be an issue then.

But the most important thing is that you can't cut yourself into pieces to pursue everything you want or like all at once, and at '100%'.

Thanks for article.

a strategic plan,so all companies us.

I'm 25 and this is exactly how I feel at the moment! So many opportunities to do great things, but which to focus on *now*?....

Thanks for the post, the advice is reassuring.

Derek, thanks for sharing this. It is right on time for projects that I'm doing now.

Devo wrote a song about this like 30 years ago;P

A life well lived is present, past, and future focused...360 degrees of life;-)

great, I just spent a lifetime trying to be a guitar player

Hello Derek,

Some great stuff in there. Quite practical with a combination of few other strategies.

And the picture - awesome. Love the donkey. Helluva kid there :-)

This wouldn't work for me. Rather I decide the night before what my priorities are and schedule them for the next day. What this has resulted in is me doing a "little" (by conventional standards) of everything I want to do. Right now, I write screenplays,practice guitar, blog a bit, exercise and do my money gig. This allows me to stay disciplined but ride the energy. I have no idea what I'll be into in 10 years. I think its healthy and aerating to change activities during the day. But sometimes I'm more absorbed in one activity and everyone's different.

Derek Man, fist of all thanks for making me laugh. It was the donkey of course. Thanks for the brief but sure fired seminar about our mental potential on short term gratiicaton and the delayed benefits. I believe this is of great value as the I can now begin to delay my temptation to inpulsively eat cheese cakes but I will not have two portions as a reward. Seriously though thanks for the idea. I will try to adopt it as a new behavioural pattern in my everyday life and resist giving into impulsve short term desire. You know you are so good for the world and very generous to share your acquired knowledge and learning with everyone.

Hey Derek!
Great art takes time!
Life chooses its own pace...we just have to find it!
Right now I am finding something in the fridge....
Rachel

Hi Derek,
I always look forward to your articles 'cause you give us food for thought.
I have read on numerous occasions that concentration is limited to a 40 minute span, then boredom kicks in.Maybe,this is why people try and do as much knowingly and unknowingly.Also,sometimes at one point or another we all must do many things in order to do that one thing we love most.

Love ir Derek
but
Is this your carrot or your stick approach?

great discussion...reminds me of "pleasure Isle" in Pinnochio!

Derek,

Thanks so much for sharing that. It was exactly what I needed to read this year.

--25 and trying to do 10 different things.

What a great aproch to getting things acomplished, I'm going to put it to work, Thank you!

Ideally speaking, you could do 7 things over 70 years, but not every opportunity waits for 10 years. If the food would go stale in a few hours, the donkey could have only had water if he went for that first. However, the donkey could still run and enjoy drinking some water and run back to eat some hay before it got stale and then back. The exercise keeps him healthy too. Also, doing one activity for a long time could make it mundane and less productive after some time. Switching activities over shorter time frames could help you achieve more value for your time, will keep your mind agile and fresh with ideas and body healthy. Too much focus can also restrict you to thinking inside the box. I get a lot of my ideas about a project when I am working on another. In the end, life is about experiences. When you die at 95 or 59, you want to be satisfied that you did everything you wanted to.

Thank you -
I love having your company in this world.
-g-

Interesting, Derek, and
i'm much the same way; only, my situation might be a tad different -- i'm now over 50, so long-term thinking has shortened somewhat. Plus, i love the arts, especially music, and for nearly 20 years, i've had my hand in most of the "business end" of music. Funny thing is, the more i take on, the more i do, the more i seem to get done and be able to do. Key for me: it's all RELATED because i can put it all in one big category. It never seems like work -- it flows. Plus, my kids are now adults and i have a day-job i don't have to take home with me.

I don't want to be a donkey. Thanks, Derek. This was posted at a very good time for me :)

Meghan

Love what you say Derek. It is spot on and important advise. As crazy as it seems, it's counter to traditional thinking which squashes
individuals from realizing their full potential by stressing they concentrate only on one career path.

It follows my life and reinforces Alvin Toffler's theory that unlike our forefathers we will follow many career paths in our lives, not just one.

Bravo to you!

Having a 5 or 10 year master plan also lets you deal with mundane work you may have to do along the way to pay the rent.

YES! I recommend serial monogamy when it comes to projects.

Left to my own devices, I would have done only one thing ever ... live my whole life on a stage. That is still the place I feel most alive. When I had my first child, I put my ambition on the back burner because I did not find the two roles compatible. For me, parenting is a very focused state and song writing is a wandering-off-into-the-night-in-a-haze-of-distraction state. I told myself I would return to the pursuit of creating art when my debt to humanity had been paid. Now I live my life on a stage and in the recording studio and in the midst of high-quality jam sessions. My three grown-up sons come to all my local shows. We stay close in a daily sort of way and we are all mostly making art with our lives!

Always exceptions to every rule.... (: Me well i have been squeezing in so many things but yes not rotating on a ten year basis. Varying it from day to day week to week year to year but I never got started till 43 so i gotta cram more in punishment for not striving earlier. When i started i thought i am getting nowhere... However for me so glad i have done the learning I have as now I am going to put all things together in a fab way.... In 11 years i have squezed in 10 10 year cycles.... 100 years now I can have a great time for the next 35.... Still much more practise learning and honing but got some great bonuses. Some of the things I have learnt most say is a waste of time but like I said there is an exception to every rule...

Knocked this post out of the park. Thank you Derek.

I learned just as much from the responses as I did from Derek's post. What a great community.

What about if you want to fulfill a destiny and your partner wants to fulfill a destiny but they are in conflict! And the bigger problem is you both have the destiny to stay together as well?
Hmmm...

I say do what you do best today and tomorrow and the day after...good things happen to you if you run into LADY LUCK and she likes you enough to grant you your dreams....

Thank you for this little bit of illumination! I realized this on the small-scale, but I didn't think about applying it to planning out the next decade. I love the idea of delaying and scheduling rather than having to choose one over the other.

I highly recommend Leo Babauta's book Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, if people want some more in-depth, practical advice about how to apply the lessons you preach in this post.

I read it and it really helped my productivity and peace of mind.

Thank you Mr. Sivers for posting this.

I'm struggling with this ALOT right now - I'm so overwhelmed with trying to move in several directions that it's starting to affect my health and my ability to do anything.

My fear of 'waiting until later' to pursue some of my goals comes from my fear of having regrets. I am haunted by the notion of living in today and never regretting (likely from the passing of friends and family when I was really young).

So I push to do a little bit of everything I want to do (I am a web designer, developer, artist, and also seeking to learn Japanese). But what's happening is that I'm trying to cram all of those things into such a short time I'm destroying myself in the process.

Now I just feel tired and diluted, and like I have so much to offer but no time or energy to do it. So I know I have to change my mindset.

It's hard to let go of fear, and that's what has caused this rough cycle for me.

On the plus side, despite how I feel right now, this mindset has allowed me to accomplish a whole lot in a little time. I sent you that email giving you the abridged version of what I've accomplished in less than 10 years. But it's come at a price.

Thank you again for the perspective, I always appreciate your blog posts, and this one especially hit me at a very important time.

Best of luck to you, please wish me luck as well, and I hope to have that coffee sometime in Singapore!

Yet another posting of yours that rings true to some of what I've learned in the past few years of my life.

This was presented to me from self-inspection triggered by conversations and advice given to me by my wife, who has known me for over half of my lifetime now (we are 28).

Bookmarked. Thank you so much!

Great story. I like to suggest you think about where you are at this moment, then ask where will you be in 1 hour? 1 day? 1 week? 1 month? 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? Once you start to realize that saying "I don't know." to any of these is not good enough, you are set to move on to where do I want to be in each and what do I need to do now to get there then. The long term perspective clearly becomes the most important. Thanks for bringing it into focus.

I shared it with my 18 yhear old pup kid who actually was on Earth long enough to read it and react with some positive words. it makes complete sense to my 65 year old self and might just tip some decisions for me. Thanks.

PS I'm the guy who hangs out in the Amazon River Basin and loved your Poison Dart CD

Can't agree more. Thanks, Derek - very insightful, as always :)

Love This Derek!

Very kool....Juzt do it...

Good advice for the youth.

Derek, I am so happy you are writing again. My gf's grandpa just died 2 nights ago at 94 years old. It makes me realize that I have a lot of life to live, so I may as well tap the brakes and focus my passions one (or two) at a time.

Thanks Derek for the thoughtful post. Sometimes it boils down to paying the bills....sad huh...
For Ryan Sprute, my son has a website called http://tutorialsforreaper.com/ It is great for learning recording, he used to be an avid pro-tools guy and discovered the ease and great editing capabilities of Reaper. Very professional but also very friendly, it walks you through of all that Reaper does as a recording program. Have a good one all you creative people. Sincerely, Dawn AKA TheSingingNurse

Good advice Derek. I wish I had known this 30 years ago. To all you youngsters-- Don't wait,Do It Now.

Focus on the things you do well, and find a common purpose to them - indie artists need a portfolio of projects, but must not waste their most precious resource - their own time.

Nice article!

I haven't always thought that way, but I do now. Everything I am doing today is laying the groundwork for my future. Here I am, almost 36 and finally graduating from college. I will either go forward with a MBA this fall or aim for a BA in English/Creative Writing.

I just want to spend the rest of my life writing. I think its pretty simple. :)

I am now 47 and so far have had at least three different "vocations." Many years ago, someone said I had to choose one thing to "be." That just simply wasn't (and isn't) true. :)

Thanks Derek! Another great post. If I only remember one thing from this post, it would be this:

"Most people over-estimate what they can do in one year, and under-estimate what they can do in 10 years."

Keep rockin',

Ryan

Hey,

That's a good one to look at. Practically at 25 it looks that we want to everthing and we hold back that everything cannot be done, but its a good way to look at doing things for 10 years. I guess that is what is looking from a different perspective.
But don't you think by 95 you would still lack a core at which you are specialized ending up as a jack of all and master of none.

It makes a lot of sense in this age of super multi-tasking. We have become habituated to excessive multitasking. I have learnt that when you serialize things, you become more efficient (yes, more efficient!)in the long run and above all, you end up with a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Mindfulness - Let the mind be where the body is.

The thing you need most when planning long term, is discipline. It's hard to stay focussed over a period of 90 years. The rest is easy. By all means make a plan and stick to it. Stick to it. Stick to it. Discipline is the magic word.

Long term is good, but don't forget the small bets and iterations. Going down the wrong path for 10 years is not so valuable.

Alas I am a hopeless Donkey - every week is different - songer-songwriting, then jazz pinao ina bar, then theremin electronics, then new age recording, then Indo-world fusion, then and Irish band.
It is ture if I stuck to one erxclusively for a while, I would progress further in that direction.
However it is this very variety that keeps my quality of life high. A chum of mine said to me - if any one of your directions took off and you had to do it exclusively it'd kill you - true for me I reckon.
An alternative to the Donkey metaphor for me is a baker. If I was a baker I wouldn't just want to bake macaroons. :-)

hee haw!!!

in the year 2525....

Thanks for the reminder. I was just thinking earlier this morning that I have a lack of focus. I need to get back to focusing on just a few things at a time. Especially now that you can release music at any age now, and still find a good fan base. I'm going to slowly build my brand. Thinking long term will help me save more money too. So this is also good financial advice!!

nice.
shame you didn't tell me 20 yrs ago, dude. (make that 30)

That is great advice.
Sometimes we are lead to places we would never have chosen and find that life was preparing us all the while so we step out in faith.
Take care and keep safe Derek.
deborah

Great post! Short, sweet, and relevant analogy.

Paralysis by analysis. I think this is the underlying theme in most people's lives. Whether it's starting a business, relationships, change of location, etc.

A nice little ditty to keep us focused!

The problem is that currently everything changes very fast. After 20 years, 3 of these things I want to do won't exist anymore, and 2 will be heavily deprecated and not worth putting my time in them.

Derek, this is so true. This description fits me perfectly. I live in a nation with countless opportunities and seeing these openings I want to delve into them at the same time. Undoubtedly, I achieve some measure of success pursuing many things at the same time, but I know it is nothing compared to focusing on one particular thing and doing it with all your heart. I recall reading abou Jeff Bezos in the University in 1997 and I said to myself 'I like this guy'. Jeff focused on selling books for a long time before venturing into other related opportunities.Now I have decided to continue ''to pursue many different directions'' for the next 6months and concentrate on one thing in 2012.
Thanks Derek this piece in needed to keep me focused.

Been a while since I heard from you, Derek. Thanks for sharing again. I must admit, though, I like trying to do everything at once. I'd have a hard time putting my many interests off for ten years in order to focus solely on one. I still think long term: I'll be so much better at all of my interests in ten, twenty, thirty, etc. years!

Great idea. I've followed 3/7th's of this life plan so far.

You become the road you travel is some respects; so the idea of planning your seven decades in advance might possibly be replaced by taking a hiatus every 10 years to re-evaluate your next decade.

It's about finishing one project before you go on to the next thing. In the mean time write down idea's that pertain to other projects. It takes discipline and focus to improve at anything, few people have it. In the end it's all about growth and the fun that goes along with sharing your different art forms...My latest Harmonica Art Series will become a calendar for 2012.

Thank you for sharing. I needd this especially right now in my life.

I think musicians have an easier than most folks focusing on one thing; after all when we're immersed in music that's the only world we're in - for me, it's been like years and years of automatic meditation.
But now, having learned in a few short years how to operate a computer and just now stepping into the world of internet social media/networking/marketing - oy yoy yoy! I feel so fragmented and anxious I'll never manage to complete all the work or overlook something that needs to be done.
Thank you for sharing your perceptions here, Derek, as always, very helpful.
Elizabeth

LOL. I call this the curse of the entrepreneur, forget hay and water! Every dust bunny blowing in the wind becomes a shiny object that we have to chase. I agree with your 10 yr plan we can have it all just not at the same time.

I used to resent people telling me to just focus on one thing. Then, when I did, I was amazed at the results... and more importantly, how fast they manifested.

Now that I have proved this to myself, I can suggest it to another with conviction.

However, I read the related article on past, present and future and realized something even more important.

I am one of those that can focus entirely on the future - letting years fly by unnoticed as I aim towards this grand moment in that grand future. And always when I got there, I was so disappointed - feeling almost betrayed. Where was the joy and exuberance I was supposed to feel at this moment? Shoot, now I have to set another goal just to have that sense of excitement and purpose again. It was so bad that a group of friends bought me the book "The Power of Now" as a gift. I read the first chapter and put it down, never to take it up again. It went right over my head.

Then, my family intervened and demanded time. As I took that time, I started to experiment with doing more things in the present. And then, when I realized it was fun to live in the now, I took a bit more of it. Then, instead of always focusing on creating something for others - later - I started to create some things for me - now. Woo! Now we really are breaking new ground!

So, maybe my recent anxiety about possibly losing focus is really just guilt because I am living now at the same time that I am living future?

"Hee haw hee haw it's Dominic the donkey
Hee haw Hee haw the Italian Christmas donkey"...
AND
"Hee haw Hee haw Mortimer the mule
Hee Haw Hee haw He's actin'the fool
Hee haw Hee haw- Mortimer-
Ya muley ol'mule"...
A little jackass music for that donkey up there

Sounds good.

(I've been following your site ever since checking a couple of your blog posts and being immediately awed by your outlook on life.)

"By 2081 it won't be unusual to live to 95."
"Use the future."
This is seriously good insight and advice. I love it. :)

This is amazing. Thanks Derek! :)

I'm learning the value of this kind of focus. In my case the challenge comes from Joy. Because there are so many good things possible online to develop, it's hard to deal with one technology at a time.

But because things change so quickly with web development, I've saved my self a lot of struggle by going slow. Deal with the base of things, let the rest come as needed.

Great advice for a lot of things about life Derek.

YogiFish -

This is really awesome advice. I have been struggling with this very issue for years. And you have put it into a completely new paradigm for me. I'm blown away Derek. Thank you.

I'm currently reading Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher and she covers this concept in depth. She even uses the donkey example! As someone with a list of interests, using this approach makes it easy to give yourself permission to explore different paths and to think long-term. It's a really great read if you have a million things you want to do with your life and thought you could only choose one.

A great post! Some of my projects are at the interface of two or more fields, which when you bring them together can be a great catalyst for original work but it’s all-to-easy to become the donkey. This year I’m focussing on just one field and after reading the post I’m encouraged to give it longer.

Great story about the donkey, I hadn't heard of it before.

If you're struggling to focus and find time I highly recommend sitting in on a Tony Schwartz seminar or grabbing his book "The Power of Full Engagement" it's powerful stuff.
Nice coincidence. I actually just started reading that book TODAY! — Derek

Thank you for the great advice, it seems like it came at the perfect time when I too am trying to go in so many directions.

Plus, if you really focus on the project or direction you are headed without diverting your energies just imagine how much more unstoppable you will be while everyone else is still stuck diverting their attentions in 100 different directions.

Wow what a powerful statement"Most people over-estimate what they can do in one year, and under-estimate what they can do in 10 years."
God Bless You :)

Brillant article & ideas. Thanks for the wonderful sharing. Think long term : )

Dont be the DONKEY! I'm sending this to my friend Jeremy right now. Thank you!

Will Good
WillGood.net

I never thought of it this way. I guess that means I've got a choice to make in the next couple months.

I would agree that you should keep focus on one project at a time.

Nature has it that I'm a (K) personality type, and I tried this and it
don't work. K= Kinectic is those babies who are always moving
around with so much energy. They have files in there brains and more
than one. In life they are the CFO and CEO of large network such as
a person who manage about 200 stores.

So the tunnel vision are for the other 3 personality types which are.
(V) (O) (A).

I have reason to believe also that since the (K) are also know it all
that the terms "Jack of all trdes and master of none" allies to them
because they don't stick to what ever they pursue because having the
ability to juggle many different things you never fully commit to one of them.

One of the best Post in a long long time!!!

Helped me a lot!!
Kudos!

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed now!!

Good One Derek, I was jotting down my thoughts in my journal and realized that I was trying to do too many things @ once. I turned to my extended brain aka 'Google' to provide me with a solution and it directed me to you. Sage advice.

Yes, many of us want to engage in so many pursuits yet we are not well suited to effective multi-tasking. Many times the decisions on which direction to go can be daunting. I try to look for "stepping stones" that help me with a more dynamic base of knowledge and experiences, and hopefully provides a good dose of flexibility as well to pursue new, not yet imagined adventures!

First of all, I love the Donkey story. I'm going to use that when I tell stories to friends :)

I like the idea of thinking long term. But doesn't 10 years seem to long? I think 2 years can be enough if you have laser focus.

But what's the rush right? Life should be enjoyed, not rushed.

Oh man, this is exactly what I needed to hear. Awesome analogy! :)

Hi Derek, I got this post via google. Thanks for this post. I made my list after reading and have chosen 1 thing to focus on for some time to come-well, it may go on to be a lifetime. I'll sure check out your other posts.

Hey Derek,

Thanks for the post. I was feeling pretty stressed out.

Hi Derek,

Just found your blog, and do you want to know what I hate about it the most??

That you don't have any share buttons so I can post your awesome thoughts for others to read.

I'm having a lot of issues with this! I want to be a musician, but also want to start my own Virtual Assistant business (so I can quit my day job and tour with music), and also take on more piano students. I try to take on all of this in a year, but really, I should just focus on one until I get one or the other off the ground...Thinking, I'll try to simultaneously build up my piano studio by just a few more students, and really pursue the VA biz for a few months, and see how that goes...Then work on moving and getting some things done with music.

hey, I discovered this blog recently and loved it. I am only 19 years old school leaver and I have been jumping around careers all the time. I think about medicine but I cannot commit myself for so long + I hate too many person contact. Also I admire science of biotechnology but it seems to me like I may waste my other recent passion - programming. However, I realised this just recently and I have never taken informatics at school. People, I have so many dreams, I wish to open a business, become an investor, master programming but unfortunately I have to choose between medicine(meh) and biotechnology...How am I to decide? Also I have strange passion to get out to live alone in the jungle, maybe this is my destiny? Lol. I am lost people, help me, please.

Thanks for this.I have been grappling with starting too many start up projects i get problems in follow up.am stopping the new projects and focusing on two that are related.Have to learn about saying no to new projects. Got this idea from Jim Collins's "good to Great"

Hi Derek,

Thank you. This article is what I needed the most. Awesome!

ahhh i love this!, very inspirational!

I seem to be a master of losing sight of this perspective. Thanks for the reminder.

Excellent article. Now I know why people in Tropical countries live only for the day with no planning for the future. Also I now know how to switch to present focus. I'll just listen to the sounds around me or focus on which parts of my body are touching the chair or bed it is resting on. Cool trick Dude. Thanks:-)

Derek, thank you for the wonderful post, you just described the situation I am in and from which I have been suffering for the past 5 years or so. Finally, I have decided on one direction and intend to follow it no matter what, without any distractions!
Cheers
Mohit

Nice post, sometimes there are just so many skills I want to pursue and improve that it can feel like I haven't got time for any of them. This is a nice little bit of advice to take on board.

This is one of the simplest and most helpful blog posts I've ever found. I was searching for what to do when you have too many projects and this made me realize that most of my projects could be put on hold until the future. What is challenging is to trust that "on hold" does not mean "never getting done". You have to believe in your ability to schedule and pick something back up.

Really great post, I've had exactly the same problem. Good advice, thanks!

Damn you Derek! I spent all morning contemplating whether I want to focus on becoming a stock trader or building my business. Both require dedication in order to be great at them, and I kept debating whether or not I can juggle them both but deep down I know I need to focus like crazy on one and forget the other one for the time being. I'm not sure where this road will lead me, but I know everything you do in life branches out into new areas that you never would have found had you not taken that road. I will choose building my business first. Thanks for the "nudge" in this decision.

that helped a lot right when i need it the most ! A recent graduate, I'm trying to choose between acting and medicine. Yep, it is as absurd as it sounds !

Amen. Loved this, Derek. Thanks for sharing. I liked the part about underestimating what you can accomplish in 10 years. Need to be thinking more long-term apparently.

Hi Derek,

But diversify within your focus? That seems to be the argument in this:

"The Myth of Focus & Why Many Great Entrepreneurs Pursued Multiple Projects at Once"
http://www.mindvalleyinsights.com/the-myth-of-focus/

Would be interested in your thoughts on that.
No one right answer. Whichever one resonates with you. — Derek

As a Westerner who has lived around Northeast Asia for over a decade, I am constantly reminded of this paradigm in local thought. Whereas in Europe, the Americas, Oceania etc a long-term plan might cover several years, in China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan, long term means several generations.
However, it is also more noticeable when this mentality is absent: "Western" business models are often adopted at the expense of cultural values that are possibly too ingrained to notice - or rather, short-term, scorched-earth business models are justified as being examples of "Western efficiency."
The meaning of this article for me, Derek, is to accept that you can get everything you want, not all at once. Stability this week, affluence this year, posterity this decade, a good story for retirement.

Came across this post while researching some of your other comments on programming. Very timely as I've been looking at how I spend my time very closely of late: http://www.mindspeak.com/2013/12/time-analysis/

I wish this was true. I wish this was realistic. I wish...

The graphic portrays a really nice "ideal"... aka the perfect renaissance man. Someone whose multi-talents allow them to fluidly swap professions while independently maintaining some form of financial stability to support one's passions. While I'm sure this worked well in the European Renaissance of the 14th through the 17th centuries, in present times, this would likely rarely work unless you were born independently wealthy, or the founder a successful start-up in your first or second life who rode on the coattails of this success to fund your subsequent lives.

I heard a great quote from a friend of mine who was talking about a mutual friend who-- like me-- had a multi-talented repertoire of talents and skills from which to draw from when pursuing work. She felt that by learning so many different things, and not aiming to become the best at a few certain things, she had "diversified herself into unemployment". Basically, the people she was competing against for jobs were increasingly becoming better than her, and when she went back to previous areas of work, the level of competition had surpassed her level of skill. And so what can she do, having used her student loans, family loans, friends loans, bank loans to get this far in learning all these skill sets, she finds herself in a precarious position. In the opinion of many, she should pick a profession and build a life around it.

I think in reality, you have to choose what will work for you, given your circumstance, or how you can leverage your circumstances to make something work for you that was not. I find that if you build a life around too many things, you risk loosing meaning in your life. I believe that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish almost anything, but accomplishing too much of everything tends not to mean anything to anybody.

Pace yourself. You have choices. I subconsciously thought I didn't. So many things I want to do but felt I would only lose interest after seeing how much work is involved. However, I now know I can keep my eye on the prizes.

Great insight!
Thanks for the share.

Janet
Inventor, writer, intuitive

Amazing. Love it.

That's exactly what I did Derek. First being aloof here (which is SIRI for Luthiere).
Second counseling.
Third musician (which now supports me partially because of you).

However, it wasn't a well-thought-out master plan. It just happened

One of my favorites!
Thanks bud!

The only thought I have at this moment is that you really like people: you like helping them, hearing their thoughts and exchanging ideas so we all keep getting to a greater awareness(higherlevel/state of consciousness), whatever you want to call it.
It's the old saying, "people only pay attention when they first know you care"(not exactly quote).
Hope you keep me on your contact list.
Thanks,
Terry

Makes a lot of sense! Thank you very much! :)

Except that I'm not 25 – I'm 51!

I really enjoyed that! I'm 42 and I wish I would have read this article 20 years ago!! Thx

Hi .. great read ! But what did you leave the the ones who are 40+ ? It can happen to them too you know! Or should we call it quits and jump from the window? :)

Haha great conclusion !
I'll keep that in mind thank you :)

Derek - thank you for this post. I'm 28 and a former corporate monkey-turned entrepreneur and need this reminder! Time management is always a struggle, but maybe I just have too many irons in the fire.

I've just done some self-reflection and took a few steps:
1. Take inventory of interests
2. Prioritize over the longer term
3. Decide on ONE focus.
4. Take action.

Thanks,

Nick

I Can only say when the things it really matters to you , You will do it very quickly.
you need to figure it out, What truly matters to you, What things not so important to you,
And you have to tell yourself, So we can see a year or ten years When things happens,

I will tell you when I am being a donkey: Sometimes on a weekend day, with two or more choices of what to do, I will fritter around until there's no time left to do either choice. Crazy, eh?

Now, maybe that's my subconscous protecting me from trying a "supposed to" choice and being awfully disappointed, and maybe (work with me here) I am afraid of hating myself for the wrong choice, but maybe... I am simply being a donkey.

This came at a perfect time in my life..

I have so many things I want to do and thinking I can somehow get into nursing school in LA. As I wait, I would take computer science classes to learn to create a website and app to create educational content, then I'll go off to nursing school in LA and work on my website and also pursue acting on the side. I couldn't help but think about the opportunity cost if not all 3 things line up. You're right, I have more than half a century more life to live.

Thank you for your post!

When a donkey's remaining 'career' time is fairly short, might the donkey anxiously wonder 'I don't have much time. How do I make the best and wisest use of the short time I have left?'

Hi Derek and friends. This donkey thing is, of course, partly from FOMO. (fear of missing out)

I like an angle of thought on this topic. You once said something about Frank Zappa. I forget his actual quote or reasoning, which you, Derek, have memorized word for word.

Anyways, Zappa once replied, when asked about regrets, that he handled regrets about,, say, never sky diving or bungee jumping, by not regretting.
Because: In his everyday life he wouldn't think about taking time to go off to do other activities, not when he was busy doing what he truly wanted to do.

...As a child I listened to others, such as ancient Greeks, advocating a well rounded life. Now I am thinking for myself.

For doing one thing perfectly you have to be completely focus on one thing because if you are willing to do many things on one time then it is most likely that you will ended up being intermediate in all field but you will never achieve expertisation in one field, which is bad because many people can do that thing but doing that thing with perfection are few. So to become successful in life your mind toward your goal should be crystal clear.

I love your work, Sivers!

I love this article. It's one of my favorite reads from Derek. :)

For those who want some visual representation of this, I made a short GIF sketch where A represents "Not a donkey" and B represents "donkey". Here is the GIF: ozo.li/files/_donkey.gif

I have 2 donkeys and they make me laugh. They only do what's in their best interest!
I do not believe that they wouldn't know what to choose. Mine always always always choose the food. :)

Derek advises, in a comment above, using whatever plan resonates with you. OK, here are some resonances from reading the comments.

I agree with getting good at something, anything, if only because then you know in your bones that excellence for you is possible, a thing related to how young workers tell each other "war stories."

At #190 Nicky Shane mentions focus and discipline and finishing. Yes. Finishing is a skill. At the school level, gaining knowledge is only half the value; the other half is finishing it up by writing a report, even if you already know the material. In my everyday life, always finishing donkey projects adds to me a certain strength. Partly because then I feel reliable.

At #40 Sandra Dees took her daughter out of a magnet school that made her take only one thing. Good, partly because the insights from one area can be applied in another, insights denied to specialists with tunnel vision. I wonder if the teachers checked with any successful people in the community, who remembered their childhood, before making their policy. Probably not.

At #90 Eohoue reminds me that actions are chosen under the umbrella of values. Derek, for example, has said he has valued being useful. The song they mentioned may have been inspired by the posthumously published poem of Emily Dickinson

(Why posthumous? Maybe because she would have valued being around other smart creative people, but did not test this by moving to where any lived. She may have been lonely, maybe without knowing it)

Here's the poem, which I once memorized:

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Interesting

It seems like the hardest part is picking something that seems worthwhile doing. Each time I choose something and spend some time on it, it seems to often lose it’a appeal.

I wanted to be a DJ and get paid for it, but I don’t really want to spend all my free time every day making music.

I thought I wanted to make physical products by sewing materials together to make costumes and stuff, but I never seem to care enough to order the materials.

It always feels like there should be one that that I really want to do that draws me, that makes me say “Hell yeah!”, but it doesn’t ever really seem to be that way.

Hopefully I will figure it out and find something to be passionate about. I love your content Derek! <3 -Omar

Awesome...👌🏽

fantastic article, this is the conundrum we face all the time but focussing on one thing is the key!

I came across this metaphore through Tim Ferris. And it kind of unblock my worst nightmare, poliedric attitude. I guess sometimes to have many talents is like to have too many good horses; which one to ride?
Thanks for this simple but effective way of thinking. I am going to research your work deeper now to put myself on the first track. Thanks!
Davide

when i saw the page it first reminded me of the story of a donkey that needed to transport stuff across the desert
but the problem is that the humans charged the donkey with everything at once leaving the donkey not enough strenght to traverse the long and harsh desert while if they made multiple trips with fewer trip they could send everything

but instead they losed the stuff and it was never delivered

they also loosed a donkey wich also suck

problem is that i'm always scared i'll forget what i wanted to do but maybe i should try your advice if i can find how to remember for sure

continue being amazing!

you appeared at the right time and what you said is true about the ten years I mean i had 20 years doing 2 different actions each took around 10 years but I didnt plan it now I will try to accomplish something or an important goal like you said in A year I wont underestimate 1 year but you know what i am only talking now hopefully if ALLAH wants and my desire we will see we say as muslims if you need help say YA ALLAH it means calling him like saying O ALLAH

It was very well put!!! Thank you for the insight!!!!

I need to be able to see further.

Caiu como uma luva! Obrigado!

I saw a bumper sticker on a car that said, “Don’t be a donkey. Walk the 254. Be a man.”

…still trying to figure out the middle part.

I used to listen to this over and over in The Before Times.
I've been feel a bit demotivated lately.
It feels so good to listen to this again.
I almost feel like my young self again.
Thank you, Derek.

I like how you read this aloud - and so long ago!