Stop Optimizing Everything
I was listening to a podcast episode of the Tim Ferriss Show where he interviewed Derek Sivers. Sivers told this story about cycling along a beach route. Every time he did this route, he would go as fast as possible, pushing himself. He would always finish his ride in about forty-three minutes, red-faced and sweating, totally exhausted.
Then one day, he decided to take it easy. Instead of going all out, he relaxed and enjoyed the view along the way. When he got to the end of the ride, he checked his time, and it was forty-five minutes. Only two minutes slower than when he’d been pushing himself to the max. He couldn’t believe it. Two minutes slower, and he enjoyed the whole ride. He wasn’t tired or drenched in sweat.
For me this story is a perfect example of how we’re always trying to optimize everything. We push ourselves to get the best possible results, but why? If doing just a little bit less gives you almost the same result and you can actually enjoy the process, why not take things a little more easy?
This applies to so many things in life. Take learning the guitar, for example. You can either learn the songs you love and just play them, or you can dive deep into the theory behind the songs—learning every chord progression, tone ladder, and every bit of technical detail. But that kind of approach can suck all the fun out of it. Sometimes, it’s better to just play and enjoy the music.
The same goes for some of my students. Once they start getting the hang of programming, they realize how much more there is to learn. Some of them want to know everything at once, to master it all as quickly as possible. But that’s just not realistic. Trying to optimize learning like that can burn you out. It’s okay to take it step by step, and actually enjoy the learning process instead of rushing through it.
So the point is, sometimes we’re better off not optimizing everything. Whether it’s cycling, playing guitar, or learning something new, we don’t always have to go all out. Slow down a little, relax, and you’ll realize the result is often almost the same, but the journey is much more enjoyable.