That's stupid. I love what I'm doing right now, there's nothing I'd rather be doing. But five years from now, I'll probably be doing, and loving something different. I think maybe that's why so many people hate what they are doing- becAuse they feel like they have to do that one thing for the rest of their life.
The one thing I am willing to do for the rest of my life? Everything!
I'd rather say: In that very moment, aim for something that you really love doing. That might change over time, but don't ever pursue something for the wrong reasons (e.g. get rich quick & retire in your 30s). It will just eat you up.
Randy specifically argues that you should not be motivated by money alone, but rather by the passion of solving a problem, improving someone's live, etc.
The key is "Rest of your life" might be 5 years. You don't know. The next 5 years is every bit as important as the next 50. Looking back 50 years from now, regardless the outcome, will you be proud about what you're currently doing? It sounds like you already know a few things you'll be proud of trying which is a good start, just make sure they're prioritized in the order that matters most to you.
When I read this I think about the PG essay about only being able to keep one thing at the top of your mind at once.
There are two dimensions here: "topness" of mind and persistence in time.
If you can keep something at the top of your mind for a very long time chances are high you will come to insights and conclusions that will separate you from the rest enough to make you a winner.
This is only possible if you really love that thing that will occupy your thinking process for years. Thus, love is the key ingredient for success.
My grandfather worked until 84 simply because he loved his job & co-workers. Had he not been mugged he would likely have worked up until his death. He was not wealthy but was a very happy man.
What he taught by example was that whether you are an entrepreneur or a cog in a machine, if you love what you do, retirement just sounds boring.
Do what you love, if you're one of the persistent & fortunate ones you may even become rich from it. In any case, better to live life doing what you enjoy than look back on your last 40 years and think, "my god where did it all go."
The bigger message I got from Randy's book and also from a recent conversation I had with him was that a commitment not to ROI or even to specific solution, but to a particular impact on a particular group, where the connection to both the problem being solved and the group being served, is really powerful fuel to power through the hard times come, which we all know will come.
No problem. Your article was well written and to the point, thanks for writing it. It really planted a good question in my mind and I hope it benefits the rest of the HN community too.
It's like how Steve Jobs wants to 'put a ding in the universe'.
For me it's beyond money or fame, it's about science and spirituality coming together to solve survival-related problems.
I'm two months shy of being 21. I have dropped out of college to follow my heart. I have spent this entire year studying cosmology, anthropology, industrial design, Eastern spirituality, and computer science while just having new life experiences. I am tying it all together into a startup that will change the world for the better.
Thanks for posting this. I'm committed to my current venture, but often wonder how long it will be until my curiosity takes me somewhere else. But Tony's line about "would you be able to say you’ve been doing what you truly care about today" is a pretty great litmus test for anything we do.
