just stop working

most of us have big dreams.

we want to build something meaningful, create impact, maybe even change the world. yet, despite all these ambitions, we still find ourselves stuck — procrastinating, distracted, or just bored.

if i'm being honest, i work productively for maybe four, five hours a day. the rest of the time? i'm either struggling to focus or questioning why the work feels so draining. i'll hit the gym to fill the time, and while that's not necessarily detrimental, it's not exactly a positive EV either.

the truth is simple: working is boring.

spending hours on the same task every day wears you down.

but boredom isn't a problem when you have options.

if you have many things to work on, you'll never get bored.

  • tired of reading? go for a walk.
  • need a break from walking? try cooking something new.
  • feeling stuck in the kitchen? work on that side project.

in real life, though, your hobbies are projects — businesses, ideas, or goals you've been putting off - that act as investments in your development and future potential.

take elon musk, for example.

Diagram showing Elon Musk's companies

hate him or love him, he gets things done. rather than spending all day working on just one thing, with six different billion-dollar companies, he constantly shifts gears:

  • rockets in the morning
  • electric cars by noon
  • brain implants in the evening

when one project starts feeling stale, he pivots to another. it's a deliberate strategy that keeps his mind fresh and engaged. after all, when you're genuinely excited about what you're doing, the line between work and passion blurs until they become one and the same.

however, to reach the top, you can't do it alone.

surround yourself with people who are just as hungry and driven as you are. find those who share your goals and vision - that's what he does. he builds teams of people who keep pushing forward, always aiming higher than "good enough."

as napoleon once said, "the art of appointing men is not nearly so difficult as the art of allowing those appointed to attain their full worth."

but we're not elon

get a reality check. look around you. no-one is elon. nor is anyone you.

you don't need a billion-dollar empire to adopt this mindset. everyone has something they've been meaning to start:

  • the blog you've been meaning to write
  • the youtube channel you always talked about
  • the reinforcement learning model for personalized fitness optimization
  • the computer vision application for real-time object detection
  • the food cart business, soon to be automated by optimus lol

...and chances are, someone out there is working on something similar. you see it all over X. our ego just makes us think we're the only ones doing it, creating an imaginary gap between "us" and "them"

these might feel small, but they're not. each one is a step toward something greater.

do what gets you hyped. when you're honest and genuinely excited about your work, you'll attract others who share that same energy. we notice :) that's just how it works - real passion is magnetic.

each project adds to your skillset, every connection opens new doors, and success breeds more success. it's a constant cycle of growth - more value you create, more opportunities.

start now. start small. just start.

-- david