This was an interesting and insightful read. The way I tend to approach it is perhaps a tad more existential and potentially more reductionist than most people I've met. The first aspect I keep in mind is that life is short, therefore if I am to try something, I really have to want to because frankly I have too many things on my list to try and not enough time to do them all. Give me 300 years, and I'd still be barely half-way through the list.
The funny thing is, I know that while I might not excel at 90% of those things, being mediocre would give me just as much satisfaction, because I got to try it, experience it (I'm very much a Woody Allen at this.). I think we're raised with a constant reminder than in our society we must try and be the best at something, but if you ask me, I'd rather be just average at more than one thing, many things in fact. It would make me feel at 80 on my deathbed like I've lived more, and potentially more stories to tell.
When I sat down to write my novel I knew it was one of those things I absolutely had to do. I didn't set it up as challenge, something I needed to stick to, but rather an existential need, a sort of "if I don't barf whatever I have inside of my head into a novel, I won't ever forgive myself". It was that important. I find that when a want becomes a need, everything changes, and we almost gain superpowers to achieve what we initially wanted. So the reason I never signed up for any 30, 60, 100, 365 day challenges of anything is simply because I don't need to, nor do I ever feel like it would trump all the other things I would want to spend my time on. A while ago I calculated through an app what the value of my time is, and it came to $50/h. That in itself is already a decent number if we are to calculate the dollar value, but I say it's much higher than that, because firstly there is no guaranteed amount of it (What $ value would someone give their last 24h alive?), secondly because time is invaluable to begin with.
My off-tangent thoughts aside, how's your 365 day challenge going so far? 😃
