The zero domino

What we don’t consider is the atrocious cost of the status quo. – Tim Ferriss

It all starts somewhere. We realize something we are passionate about, throw ourselves into it, find so much joy, and have something to look forward to every day. Then one of two things happens. We encounter a physical bully or an emotional vampire, and we start hearing their voice in our head, like an evil Jiminy Cricket. We feel inadequate, incompetent, incapable, inutile.

Or, we enter the work force, get drowned in the mundane but urgent and mindless to-do of building a so-called career. Gradually, we are too tired, too frustrated, too depressed to keep pursuing our passion because there’s no money in it, it won’t help our career, or we can’t do that while simultaneously living in the practical “real” world. Or so we think.

While stuck in the status quo, a few things start to happen, gradually, imperceptibly. You start spending more time at work, less time in the things that balance it off. Drink more coffee, lose more sleep. Repeat. You get sucked into, chewed up, and swallowed by the system. You get Alzheimer’s about your dreams. And you can’t seem to fight it.

Young Cassius Clay took up boxing after his bicycle was stolen, and decided he would never be bullied again. He became the most famous athlete in the world as Muhammad Ali. Mike Tyson was a bully – a multiple offender criminal, in fact – when he got his burn kicked at a juvenile center by a former Golden Gloves champion who weighed at least 60 pounds less than he did. Neither lost the drive, and sustained the ability to sow devastation inside the ring. One became the greatest. The other flamed out. Neither became part of the status quo.

How do you go back to your starting point, your zero domino? How do you recall your initial fire, your motivation, your guiding light? After a couple of years of trying to make it in someone else’s system, how do you reclaim the lost part of your spirit? How do you rediscover your joy?

Set your mind to it. Make the decision to make a change, don’t add any detail yet. What area will you change, and in what direction? Whether it be weight, relationships, work or other goals, decide to go forward with what you really want, have wanted, or used to do. Set a few minutes each day to channel your energy in that direction. That will set things into motion.

Set small goals. When my sons started playing basketball, the regulation men’s ball was too heavy. They had to shotput it towards the rim. They did not see how they would ever be good enough or strong enough to be effective for their school team. Within six months, they were raining down three-pointers on teens and adults alike, so much so that my fellow journalist friends refused to invite them to our weekly scrimmages anymore. If you want to get fitter, start small, like 10 pushups or 15 minutes. You’ll feel successful and encouraged, and you’ll do more. You’ll be on your way.

Break the mold. Go against conventional wisdom. Bo Jackson proved that one could play more than one sport professionally. Athletes have won gold medals in both winter and summer Olympics. Don’t just accept what is. Even the experts do things in the way that works for them. Not every tool or routine fits everyone. Author and investor Tim Ferriss has proven how to become world-class (top five percent) in many diverse fields in a matter of months. He once learned the tango in Argentina, and even made it all the way to the semifinals of the world championships just months later. Find what works for you.

In the grand scheme of things, your instincts and passion will best guide you. Add the inner strength to follow them. You will be where you want to be sooner than you think.