Skip to main content

Compete! Instead of trying to game the system, force the system to play in your game

I think that'll be the title of my book when I finally write one. The basis of the concept was brought to my attention as we were looking at a flowing grass landscape, beautiful, the occasional scrub oak with a horizon of snow-capped mountains. An artist friend pointed out the beautiful striations of color; being taller, I saw more of a giraffe coloring. The comment was, "imagine that was a 2 d picture". My response, "you can't compete with Nature" discussion then morphed into winning and losing, and therefore, you can compete with Nature, you just will always lose. However, to compete is to compete, and during competition, there is no winner or loser; there is just competition. Staying in context, did Michalango win when he took the stone and turned it into a masterpiece we now know as David? Or did Nature, because Nature supplied Michalango the image of David to make out of stone? Either way, I sure am glad that Michalango engaged in that competition. 

That brings me to the overarching concept and that is always compete, it is a natural right to compete even beyond that; a natural requirement. The sum of good competition is exelecence, or in quotient form 1+1=3. It is in our nature to compete, and as we evolve, we compete in different categories, but the essence remains the same. Personally I've competed for my time, that competition of time was presented to me at a fairly early age when I was told I had only a limited amount of it. Therefore being the most fininate resource in my existence I turned every decision into a competition for the time I had. Choices were made based on the resource, how much time it would take, and how much enjoyment/money/etc. I would have/earn/etc. Living in a form of an algorithm, caused me to compete for an understanding of how to make decisions  more efficiently, how to get results more efficient, and therefore turning everything into a competition of my time. Everything had to compete for my time, including but certainly not limited to my work or at the time my job. Now it has morphed into my work. I am way more likely to allow my work to compete for my time than my job, with a job, it was always a competition for my time, every day, what about my job is competing for my time, that would be my daily ritual, though in algorithmic form. So many "self help" books / pod casts / channels try to achieve this very simple task, by creating efficiencies in your every day. However if at the root of your completion you are competing for efficiencies, and not time, you will be wasting time trying to become more efficient in spite of your time spent on efficient efforts. If on the other hand you realize that the end goal of efficiencies is to compete for your time, then efficiencies become second nature. You no longer question the outcome if the completion plays in your favor. So instead of trying to "game the system" you create a game of the system, you make the system compete for your time. 

Developing ...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Psychology of Money: A Personal Insight

Recently, I had an experience that reshaped my understanding of the psychology of money. I took over a property management job where part of my payment came in physical cash, money previously directed to someone else for this task.  Most tenants paid digitally or by check, but one unit always paid in cash. Having that "management" fee/ maintenance fee tangible, in my hand, ignited a unique perspective. It wasn’t about the amount, but the form in which it arrived.  Sure, I could take a full-time job earning in excess of $10K a month. However, that wouldn’t necessarily change my life as it would only take more of my time, the one resource I can't regenerate.  Surprisingly, the extra $1K in cash monthly had a more significant impact, not because it was a windfall, but because it made me more mindful of my earnings. The physicality of cash and the process of earning it manually introduced a sense of value and respect for my work that was somewhat abstract before.  This p...

Elk Hunt - Shakespearean style

In Meeker's vale, where mountains touch the skies, An alfalfa field before us calmly lies. Two hundred fifty elk, a sight to glean, To move unseen a task, nigh unforeseen. Our guide named Hugh, and Father by my side, We hunker down, in quiet we abide. At last I spot him—five by five, the bull, Amidst his kin, the scene is nearly full. A hundred thirty-eight yards separates, My steady aim on destiny debates. For three long minutes, in my sight he stays, But cow elk guard him, blocking aim and gaze. I dare adjust—alert, they bark and flee, My chance arrives, as if by fate's decree. The cows disperse, the bull steps forth alone, My rifle speaks; its aim and end are known. Down falls the bull, as twilight fades from view, Amidst the field and mountains' varied hue. A tale to pass, from elder unto youth, Of patience, skill, and undying truth.

Declutter - What if

  Introduction The subject of decluttering has always been a hot topic in my family, but it was a recent conversation with my mom that really got me thinking. While there's never a bad time to declutter, I've discovered that timing can make a world of difference. The Psychological Underpinnings of Attachment Growing up, I was around family members who, while not hoarders per se, had a tendency to hang onto stuff—think tools gathering dust and too many sleeping bags "just in case." Over time, I noticed this emotional attachment to things didn't just clutter the house but also our minds. The Ideal Conditions for Letting Go After years of living amidst semi-clutter, I had an epiphany: the act of letting go can be incredibly freeing. It's funny how mental barriers often make it difficult to start the decluttering process. But once you overcome them, you're rewarded with a serene sense of calm. Life Events as Natural Catalysts While events like moving homes or ...