The Caring Contiuum
Over the last few years or so I’ve developed a personal slogan of sorts: Who cares, wins. As is always the case with me it’s a lame twist on something awesome: the motto of the United Kingdom’s Secret Air Service. With project based work this always made sense. You can be on your game mentally and physically, but if you don’t love your work then it won’t be any good. There is a reason why a home grown military is preferred over mercenaries. When it comes to the productivity stuff, Merlin Mann (the best) always says “First, care”. If you really want to do something, you will. You don’t need a distraction free environment to play that game of yours. It’s just what you care about at that time.
This is not how it’s been working for me lately. Investment has an opposite effect. Rather than a source where answers are found, its a place where problems start. It’s not a problem of raised stakes causing the latter in “fight or flight”, but rather too much doubting, over thinking. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but some part of me wants to be. Best avoid this. If there’s no passion, everything flows in an idiot savant sort of way. Worry later. Somehow it always works out.
I don’t have a bigger point to this. Just that I’ve noticed this inverse relationship.
Title stolen from this unrelated, always awesome graphic. Also, honey badger don’t care, honey badger doesn’t give a shit.
