Do you ever just close your eyes and just breathe?

Plane rides are the perfect time.

Considering buying a nice, new thing?

Let’s assume you have two options who’s form and function appear similar:

• Choice A for X.
• Choice B for 3X.

Remember this:

The worst part of owning Choice B is at the very beginning when you have to buy it. From then on, it gets better and more satisfying.

With Choice A, the seemingly equivalent option, the best part of ownership is immediately when you pay. From then on, it gets worse and less satisfying.

You are the sole keeper of your finite supply of time.

Be generous with it, of course.

But it’s yours.

[Related from Wait But Why: 100 blocks / day]

Your source of motivation.

Is it the people you’ve helped?

Or is it the other people who’ve helped people. Your role models, mentors, etc.

The former is who gets you out of bed in the morning. And as important, they’re the ones who can get you what you were looking for in the latter.

So you’re The Anti Guy.

The anti-establishment. Anti-mainstream. Anti-everyone else.

And that’s great. People are drawn to that.

But what happens when people catch on? Now you’re mainstream.

Now you’re everyone else.

What happened?

Has anything actually changed?

Stuck at a number on the scale.

Stuck at your role at work.

Stuck in a routine at home.

You can get unstuck.

That’s not the tough part.

It’s figuring out what’s holding you back.

You know that feeling after a giant meal?

You know, no more food or you’ll barf.

Now switch out food and drink for money and attention.

You have all you can possibly stomach. Any more and you’ll barf.

Now, how do you spend your time?

One more question.

What would you stop doing today?

Eye-opening, huh?

[HT to Sivers’ article on money and attention.]

You may think that you should be more accommodating to get more of what you want.

But chances are, you’re better off doing the exact opposite.

Be less accommodating.

[HT to the 1922 article via Mike Cane’s blog on being accommodating.]

More features. More options. More info.

More more more.

But stop for a second.

What problem are you solving?

So you’re just starting out.

Should you:

• Specialize and make exceptions to your specialty?
• Generalize and lean towards a specialty?

The latter is tempting. We do it all!

But isn’t the former the right move?