I’m a magpie. I realize the reference is dated, but it fits perfectly. I’m a magpie. I see shiny things, I get excited, and I go after them. I don’t mean shiny things like fancy cars or watches or anything material at all. I mean ideas. Shiny, new ideas.
The problem with ideas is that I have a lot of them. Most of us do. And we don’t have time to pursue them all. You may not realize it, but you spend most of your life saying “no.” There are an infinite number of things you could be doing at this moment. You’re reading this post. Which means you’re not curing cancer, playing volleyball, or taking your future spouse on a first date.
Are you sure that you say “no” to the right things? More importantly, are you sure you’re saying “yes” to the most important ones?
I have a simple rule: triple down on what you’re good at. Fit the rest in if you can.
If you invest the majority of your effort focused on crushing the things you already win at, two things will happen: first, you’ll win. Second, you’ll get momentum to carry you through the learning process for the next thing you’re going to be good at.
Success breeds success. Get some!
This week has been full of exciting announcements for the Intentional Academy. Future goals for our content. Stories. VLOGS. But the most exciting one is this:
We’re working on a weekly Podcast.
Why? Because I’m really good at talking with students about life.
There’s a line out my office door of people looking for help with resumes, picking majors, finding internships, managing time, dealing with money and student loans, and getting on a solid career path. I’m not bragging, I’m recognizing a trend. And it’s no wonder I’m getting good at this: I spend an enormous amount of time reading, watching, listening, and practicing it.
But listening has always been key. I consume more content through podcast than all of the other forms combined. Why? Time. I can listen to a podcast in the car. On the train. At the gym. When I run an errand. Every time my wife asks me to run out and pick something up from the store, I come back a better person.
This is the first of the new projects the Intentional Academy is rolling out. We’ll keep you posted on the progress. We’ll teach you how to access the episodes when they are released. Most importantly, we’ll address the issues and questions that you have.
Update: here’s the link:
In the meanwhile, go all-in in the things you’re good at and enjoy the victories!
Do you have a question you’d like answered? Leave a comment or send an email to tony@tonyferrar.com.
