Ruthless prioritization
Focus is the key to doing the most impactful work, once we know the direction we want to move in, and have a basic idea what the next step – or a few – on that journey are.
Some of these steps will be straightforward, whereas others might require us to do something for the first time. At that point, we need to decide the best use of our time and energy: is it to learn and acquire a new skill, or pay to make the problem go away and move forward to the next step.
In pretty much every such dilemma, there are three variables at play: time, energy, and money. Ideally, we want to have more of each, because this is the way to freedom, joy, and happiness.
Will learning this skill – hence, investment of precious time and energy – now allow me to resell it in the future? Would repeated application of this skill bring me joy? How much could I realistically earn? How much would it cost me right now to have this problem solved in an optimal way and move one step closer to my ultimate goal?
Answering these questions bring all the clarity I need to make the right choice.