I was listenging to this podcast recently and reflecting on risk taking to innovate. On the podcast they explored the need to take risks to innovate and how this may impact short term productivity as some things won’t work out. However the easy thing to do is the path laid out for you – working in your lane. Maybe that is seeing all-commer GP consulting, being flat out with this but as a trade off, not developing your interest which may lead to more satisfaction and enjoyment in work.
As 1980’s English poetic pop group TheThe sang, “the path of least resistance leads to the garbage heap of despair”
The harder thing to do is to work on a niche or interest that will expand your reach, help new people and keep your interests alive. There will be nay-sayers and people who tell you to stay in your lane and focus on your core work. This maybe out of concern, it may be out of jealousy at seeing you follow your wishes.
It is also hard to get going with this work. It is hard to find time, focus when we are constantly hit by by demands from the day job. It can also be hard to step away from certain income in the day job to start another project which may have reduced income initially (although hopefully scalable!)
In Morgan Housel’s fantastic book “The Psychology of Money” he makes a case that we should just save – that savings given flexibility and the space needed to plan and move to the next job/career. The intangible benefits of savings gives you options and flexibility.
This podcast interview with the owner of ConvertKit was excellent – talking about the idea of a flywheel for new projects – very hard to get going with little to show initially but gathering speed and it’s own momentum over time. This is no different for myself – in writing this post, I realised I had not written since July, two months ago. Life just gets in the way. This can be called the whirlwind of regular work in some books, the stones/sand approach in other. There needs to be a way of carving out some time to focus on your new project to give it the time it needs to live and grow.
How will you set aside time?