UNCATEGORIZED
Those Who Are Left
When everyone else has moved on to something new, who’s still left? Are you one of those people, still working on that same craft, honing your skills? Or did you move on with the rest of them, eager to try the new and next best thing?
If we’re honest with ourselves, we enjoy chasing the next great thing more. It’s exhilarating, and fun. Trying out the latest software, or the newest tool, or a new activity brings with it a sense of novelty that is enticing to all of us.
However, deep down we know that this isn’t enough. While fun in the moment, doing this doesn’t advance us in our big goals, nor does it help us feel satisfied in the long term. Instead, we end up feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied with our progress. One of the worst feelings in the world is looking at the clock after what felt like only an hour or so of chasing the shiny items to see that the whole day has gone by. Amplified over many days and weeks, the feeling is only worse.
This brings us back to the original question. Where are you when everyone else moves to the next thing? You know the majority will flock to the new thing, but you have a choice. Either you join them, or you continue in your small corner, working on the things that drive you. Yes, this work is hard, and no, it’s not as “fun” as moving to the next thing. But, over the long term, you will get more satisfaction from continuing what you’re doing.
If you want to be the best at what you love, you have to keep on doing it. This stupidly simple but logical advice is easy to execute until you encounter the influence of others. Putting in the work is easy when that is all you have to do, but when you’re continuously blasted with new ideas and concepts from people on social networks, it can be difficult to block out the sirens’ call and focus on the work at hand.
If you can do this though, then you are setting yourself up to be successful. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday. When everyone leaves, you can choose to still be there, quietly working and building up your skill. While everyone else is switching between new things, you’re staying consistent with your work, and it will pay off.