Too Many Interests

So many steps back to the start.

One step left, one step forward, two steps right, a full 180° pivot, two more steps, one step right. That takes you right back to where you started.

It felt like progress in the moment. The determination was there. Motivation, throughout.

But the net distance was zero.

It's so tempting to hop onto a new trend or venture. Shiny object syndrome, they call it.¹

Dropshipping gurus made it look easy. Day traders flashed insane profit numbers. Freelancers showed they could make a living on their own hours, async, from anywhere.

In my case, I noticed it when I tried to get advanced syntax knowledge in too many programming languages at once. Java, JavaScript (React.js), Python, C++, PHP, C#, Golang, Vue.

Familiarity is fine, but there's no way you reach senior-level in all of them. And by the way, it's a red flag for technical recruiters when they see a resume stacked with every language under the sun. Either you're proficient in a few or you're spreading yourself too thin.

The three I actually went deep on were JavaScript (React.js), Python, and Java.

Same thing with courses. I bought course after course, technical ones, business ones, self-improvement ones, and finished maybe one or two. Each purchase felt like progress. Clicking "enroll" gave me the same hit as actually learning the material, except without the work.

And it's not just careers. Learn the guitar, learn piano, get better at chess, shoot logo 3s like Steph or Dame (good luck with that one). Hypertrophy training at the gym, but also swim, also train for a marathon, also get good enough at pickleball to win a tournament.

Do you see how this ends up being stressful?

Here's what I think is going on. Novelty hits dopamine the same way progress does. Your brain can't tell the difference between starting something new and actually getting somewhere. Starting is free. Finishing is expensive.

Too. Many. Options.

So what's the solution?

It's called the Essential Few.² Having several interests is a good thing. We lose part of the beauty of being human by locking ourselves into the same tasks, the same environment, the same routines forever.

But we have to step back and reanalyze. Which things take priority? What do I really need to get good at? Which of these will actually take me where I want to go?

Five or ten is too many. Cap it at three.

How do you pick those three? Ask yourself: which pursuits will have the highest leverage on the quality of my life? Which ones will make me the most fulfilled, and add the most value to the people around me? What do I love doing outside of my usual day-to-day?

And it really does depend on an individual case-by-case basis. No one can give you the perfect answers to these questions. You'll need to take some time to think about it.

This list isn't static. It evolves.

You can have seasons where you put everything into those three areas, and once you've banked the gains, you ease off the gas and transition into your next season.

Remember, it's easier to maintain than to grow. Here's an example: Take the 75 Hard challenge. It's extreme (hence the name), but once you finish it, you don't need to keep that intensity forever. You shift to regular movement and move onto the next goal.

Maybe that's the high-income skill you've been putting off. Not the flashy one. The one you researched deeply enough to know it's worth your full focus.

Choose your few directions in life.

Be intentional. Always.

Keshav