When I started my CannedFanatic blog I told myself I was going to write at a minimum once a month. That clearly has not come to pass, but I have hope for the future. Mostly because it’s really not that large of a commitment, and developing my writing voice is major goal of mine.
I am currently reading Mastery by Robert Greene and the idea of 10,000 hours is covered in the second part of the book. This concept is something I’ve heard reiterated many times now. Originally from my father, then in Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and now in Robert Greene’s book. The concept also comes up in books like Good to Great by Jim Collins, but in that context he doesn’t explicitly mention it to my memory. He outlines the “Level 5” leader. Who in my mind must at some level be at the level of mastery or in the 10,000 hour realm in some way.
I don’t think I’ll ever be a masterful writer. But I would like to get better, and I feel that as painful as it is to write and post publicly, it will help.
I’m heading to Namibia this afternoon for three weeks. I look forward to going on a true adventure. I haven’t been on one in some time, and the feeling I have currently reminds me how much I crave it. I’m bringing along Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway and Lions Tracker Guide to Life by Boyd Varty. The latter I’ve already read, the former I just feel fits the theme. This trip, along with my other things currently happening in my life, have also reminded me just how much I value freedom. Freedom of time specifically. I’ve been on an entrepreneurial quest for quite some time now, and it’s forced immense amounts of self reflection over the last three years. Why am I doing this? Is it just for money? Is it just for recognition? I’ve come to the conclusion it’s my innate drive towards freedom that drives me to “figuring it out” on my own. I’m pleased with that being the driver, it seems reasonable enough.
I read the Power of Now recently by Eckhart Tolle. It’s amazing to me how many conclusions and theses of writers seem to come back to the outlook discussed in his book. So much can be explained by mastering the power of living in the moment. What I find fascinating is many times in life you also have to master delayed gratification, which directly goes against much of what the book discusses. He caveats during the middle of the book with the understanding that the world runs on what he calls “Clock Time”, and that is a necessity in life, but it’s hard to believe that Warren Buffet at age 23 when he was collecting dividend checks at his home in White Plains NYC was “Living in the Now” OR maybe he was/is so conscious of the now that it’s what makes him so incredible at investing. An extreme set of blinders always on to everything that is not directly interesting to him with little to no ego involved with the process. Which brings me to another and final topic, the concept of reducing ones ego to produce greater focus and success. In theory, during philosophy 101 in college, it seems almost comical that the hypothetical subjects are controlled by their ego. Though once you’re in the big bad real world for say five maybe six years, you really begin to notice it in yourself and others. This is speaking from personal experience. Maybe others noticed it long ago, and maybe some never do. I feel that from 25-27 I’ve become hyper aware of my own ego, mortality, and general shortcomings. I assume that’s a natural evolution, but it’s been an interesting one nonetheless.
I hope to begin writing these more frequently. I also want to urge myself in the future and anyone who happens upon these to accept the fact that these will be extremely unstructured. It’s the only way I’ll actually continue making progress. I can’t have any preconception mentally that these need to be perfect, deliver any meaning, or have a point in any way. If I come to feel in the future that I’m a better writer or have something more to say, I’ll create a section of this blog with some other title or subject outside investing or personal writing. For now, this is ostensibly a journal. I also will plan to continue to add some flair to it, and have fun with it, which will mean structure changing as well as content and flow.
To wrap, here’s some damn good movies I’ve been rewatching, hopefully I can come back to these in a decade or so and have a good list to hammer through with my kids. Maybe I’ll have a running list of interesting books, music, art, and movies/tv at the end of all the PWs, maybe I won’t.
The Notebook
Inglorious Bastards
Kill Bill #1
Dark Knight Rises
Mad Max Fury Road