What You Sow

One common mistake I keep noticing when analyzing people’s stories is that they malinvest and are surprised at the losses they are suffering. No, I am not talking about stocks and options. I am talking about investing the primary resources available to you: time, energy, and money.

Let’s consider a few stories. For example, someone decided to learn a new skill, the C++ programming language. So he spent a couple of hours downloading books, watching videos, reading random articles, installing relevant software, etc. Then he felt that it was such a big task, so he decided to postpone it to some unknown date and carried on with his daily life routine, which included watching documentaries about oceans. Fast forward two years and this guy knows a lot more about oceans; however, he knows nothing about C++. The result is very expected; however, when this person decided to postpone C++ learning, he avoided contemplating the effect of that decision on his future skills.

Consider a different character who decided to learn the C++ programming language. She did some research and decided that she would learn best by following a textbook instead of learning from video lessons. She started reading the book while typing many of its examples in an IDE, compiling and executing them, and making changes to ensure a proper understanding of the underlying code. Moreover, she would diligently solve several exercises at the end of each chapter. It was challenging and even frustrating at times, but she persisted. She ensured that all distracting websites and apps were shut off so they didn’t distract her. She didn’t exhaust herself, so she worked for 1 to 1.5 hours a day, five days a week. Fast forward six months, and this person would already have an excellent understanding of C++ than can be used to pursue more challenging endeavors.

In brief, every day, you are making a choice. Not making a choice is technically choosing to be passive and let distractions take hold of your day. It is better that you knowingly make a choice that helps your day be aligned with your long-term project instead of allowing yourself to struggle to react to many things of no importance. Don’t expect to increase your knowledge if you spend three hours each day on social media instead of reading worthy books; the two are not the same. Finally, remember that what you sow today, you will reap in the coming “season”.