No. This is not about crypto. Or Investing for that matter. Or money.
This is about another resource. One we all share. One we all experience differently. One we should all approach with a heightened sense of scarcity.
This is about Time.
We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.
Let me start with a backstory. Lay a foundation so you better understand the main lesson.
Some of you might know “The Binding of Isaac”. I’m an addict. Dead God on two files. Hundreds of hours. I use this game to shut off. Play 30 minutes at the end of the day while listening to some abstruse podcast. A habit just productive enough that I never cut it out.
In the last month, I have moved away from random podcasts towards crypto-related content. There is this curated list of talks and videos I created. Curated. Well. It’s just a place to dump any interesting piece of content I come across. So I scroll through. Look for a captivating title. Hit or Miss.
Yesterday. A hit.
Mastering the Chaos Cycle
The following excerpt is my interpretation from a talk by Peter Depaulo. You can find it linked here. The actual talk is much more practical. Actionable. Showing what you can do to break free from this cycle. The chaos cycle.
Life is Chaos. We can attempt to tame it. Pack it into Todo lists and Workflows. Futile. Life is Chaos.
You’re driving a car. Down an endless road. Ahead, the horizon - a promise of some sacred town. Achievement. Fulfillment. Purpose. Behind you, the ghosts of your work. Experiences. Failures.
This car is the only way you get there. It breaks down. You’re done. Can’t carry on by foot. Maybe you fix it, maybe you don’t. You pull over, sweat it out for a month, or maybe you’re stuck forever.
So, how do you drive? Pedal to the floor?
No. Hell no.
Pushing it. Flooring that pedal. It traps you. Inside a vicious cycle of rushing and burning out. A chaos cycle. You end up chasing that horizon like a madman, never quite reaching it. You burn through fuel. Wear out the engine. Turning into a product of the chaos you tried to outrun.
Instead. Don’t push so damn hard. Ease off the pedal. Feel the road. Listen to the hum of the engine. Accept the chaos instead of fighting it. The drive isn’t about the destination. It never was.
The breaks. Detours. Stops in nowhere towns. That’s where the real living happens.
Don’t live under the assumption you can tame chaos. Ride with it. Treat it like a passenger. Let it play with the radio. Let it drive for a while. Take a nap on the backseat. You won’t get to the destination any faster by burning yourself out. You just end up stuck on the side of the road. Another casualty of the chaos cycle.
Drive steady. Embrace the journey. Let the horizon be your guide, not your master. And enjoy the damn ride.
