The Art of Being Unmistakable: A Collection of Essays About Making a Dent in The Universe by Rao Srinivas

Author:Rao, Srinivas [Rao, Srinivas]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2013-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

THE OTHER 20%

"Sometimes rainbows and unicorns do shoot out of your ass when you sit down to write" ~ Paul Jarvis

Somebody emailed me and said, "I can't write." I replied back and said, “Neither can I. 80% of my work is terrible. You read the 20% that I risk sharing."

Perfection in any sort of art is a fool's errand. What makes it art is that it is imperfect, and the beauty of it lies in the eyes of the beholder.

· Maybe you can write.

· Maybe we can all write.

· Maybe you can draw

· Maybe we can all draw

· Maybe you can sing

· Maybe we can all sing

Moreover, who is the authority on whether you do any of those things well? People will love your art and people will hate it. For example:

· I like movies that many people hate.

· I have the pop culture taste of a teenage girl (90210, OC, Hart of Dixie)

We may not have natural talent for everything. However, we could learn just about anything and get decent at it. According to Josh Kauffman, we can become competent at anything in 20 hours. Most people are not good at things when they start. However, to let this be an excuse for not starting kills the possibility of finding your zone of genius.

False starts are certainly better than standing still. Eventually, you have to be willing to suck at something long enough to get good at it. I see this with people who want to learn how to surf. They show up once or twice in 3 months and then write it off as a lack of talent. Surfing is amazing. Learning how to surf sucks. However, if you can get past the part where you suck - the 80% - you will get to experience the thrill of the part that is amazing, the 20%.

Take something from inception to launch. Make what Peter Sims calls little bets. The final product might be terrible. However, in it you will find the 20% that might lead to something much bigger and better. The most valuable thing that could come from shipping a failure is what you will learn from it.

Therefore, that is competence; what about mastery?

Take inventory of your skills, your experiences, and the things that light your eyes up. 80% of your life will not be worthy of mastery, and that's fine.

· I don't want to become a master web designer

· I don't want to become a master chef (well maybe)

· I don't want to become a master programmer

To find that 20% of your life you consider worthy of mastery, figure out the 80% that is not. That usually lies within the things you would not do if somebody paid you a million dollars. If there is nothing you would not do for a million dollars, I do not know what to tell you. Set aside some of it for your future therapist.

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