"If you worked as hard at doing difficult things as you did avoiding them, you’d become unstoppable." - Farnam Street

We have dreams. We have goals. The bigger the more abstract and the more we put them off. I've talked before about how we focus on the urgent at the expense of what's actually going to get us to our goals. We sell ourselves short.

What I haven't talked about is how hard we work at avoiding hard decisions. And hard things. Those things we don't feel are in our core wheelhouse. Conversely, we can often find success in playing to our strengths. By leaning into what we've already mastered or have a hankering to master. That doesn't mean we don't need to stretch ourselves. And it's in that place where we avoid the hard work by working hard. So this notion of accepting that it's difficult. Stopping the habit of avoidance. And doing.

I know I avoid things. If you are honest with yourself, who hasn't? Like trips to the doctor. Working on taxes. Being more diligent at working out.

I eat healthy, walk a lot and am at a fine weight. But I'm not overly fit. I have a nascent dream of being super fit long into my life. I've dabbled in longevity. I know what's required. Yet I haven't prioritized getting fit. I even signed up for a 100 mile unsupported bike ride for July. But I signed up last year when July was way far into the future. I haven't done the training. Not even a bit. Every now and then I think about it. But do nothing.

I just do the easy stuff. Like walking the dog 5 to 6 miles per day. Eating well. Yet imagine if I built the habit. No, getting super fit won't lead me to financial independence. But it could ensure I'm able to operate at peak potential for longer than if I weren't. How cool would that be?

Yet it's hard. It's abstract. It's not now. It's later. Sooner or later later comes to roost. Sooner rather than later. Yep, could spin that one for awhile.

“Most people never pick up the phone. Most people never call and ask. And that's what separates sometimes the people who do things from those who just dream about them. You gotta act. You gotta be willing to fail. You gotta be willing to crash and burn. With people on the phone or starting a company, if you're afraid you'll fail, you won't get very far."— Steve Jobs

Whenever you do something really hard. When you push through your inertia and sweat buckets, don't you feel good after? You feel like crap in the middle. But in the end you are glad you did the work. Imagine that feeling before you start. Imagine how you'll feel AFTER you do the work. Might that make you do it?

These dreams we have that require hard work?

We like the idea of the achievement. Not the actual doing. We'd like to just wake up on the other side of the pain. But much of the reward is knowing that you did something you didn't think you could do. It's the journey. The process. Maybe if you looked at it like you GET to do it rather than you HAVE to do it you'll enjoy it more. And the more you enjoy the doing - pain or no pain - the better the outcome. You'll bring your whole self to the project rather than the bare minimum. Average loses today. Remarkable wins. And remarkable achieved through pushing through the pain using your unique skills sets you apart from the herd.

There's also something magical to embracing process. Like a Tetris puzzle you get to assemble the parts. It's about craftsmanship and problem solving. It's through process that you surface cool new solutions you didn't realize existed.

The other aspect to not starting or not doing but just dreaming is what happens if it actually works? What if we fear not failure but success? With success we'll have something to live up to? Horse hockey.

With success you'll reach a new level which reveals the next level of opportunity. Or the next level of problems to solve. You might create something you didn't intend. That's true with AI where in the wrong hands it could be used for nefarious things. But doing and creating is what separates those who sit back from those who are successful at whatever it is you admire.

The journey is never over for the curious. It just takes different routes.

Where to put your money so you don't lose it

I was listening to Michael Taylor, CEO of Micro Strategies talking about his massive investment in Bitcoin. The environmental issues aside - and I don't want to minimize that impact - his rationale for Bitcoin is to solve the 'treasury problem' companies face by holding cash. When a government prints money, the value declines over time unless your money is growing faster. For example, if inflation is 10%, you have to earn more than 10% return in order to stay ahead of it. If it's 15%, then you must earn over 15%.

If you earn less than the rate of inflation then your monetary assets decline. And year after year of such declines compounds significantly. This is particularly problematic if you're holding Venezuelan currency. It doesn't take long for your assets to go to zero.

With Bitcoin finite and not controlled by any government, you hedge against the monetary supply. Yes, there are wild swings in Bitcoins value but year over year the long-term trajectory is upward because the supply is finite.

Now depending on where you are at with your work and finance portfolio this may not yet be too concerning for you. (It's not yet for me). But something to think about.

Parting thought

Also from Farnam Street:

The biggest generator of long term results is learning to do things when you don't feel like doing them.Discipline is more reliable than motivation.

This week was a nudge into action. Connect this with being 1% better every day and imagine where it’ll take you. Happy doing!