Mar 4
The case for a mundane life
I was recently asked what do I do for fun in my free time and my response was “ I have a boring life; reading, working out, martial arts, and investing”. What’s interesting was they didn’t think it was boring. What’s boring is my response to these questions every time they’re asked. They’re all things that I love doing so perhaps I should show more enthusiasm. But it got me thinking about a “mundane life” and why it’s worth pursuing this lifestyle.
Let me first define my definition of mundane life — daily repetition of focus work to develop skillsets and application of learned knowledge. In theory, it’s not boring, but the practicality of it will be “boring”. You’re mostly doing the same type of work each day, but I’d argue that it’s worth doing.
Why you should consider it
As said best by Albert Einstein:
Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.
Through repetition and time, the amount of “interest” you accumulate will bear fruit in whatever skillset you want to achieve. My argument for sticking and focusing on a few things is stringent upon a time restriction. You’ll only live for so long and mastery requires focus and lots of time. You might disagree, but unless mastery is achieved, the chances of it having a profound effect on your life are low. Even if mastery isn’t achieved, the relentless pursuit of it is life-changing.
I’m a firm believer that if you’re able to master a few things, especially combining those things, then you’ll be able to unlock new pathways — connections, relationships, financial gain, etc. For example, let’s take someone that knows sales and has the background of an engineer. This person now has the ability to explain how something works and instantly increases their value. Another option is to be able to start their own company with the skillset they have. IF you can communicate how something works and be able to innovate/improve a product, that’s something not many people have.
They say the best way to avoid sharks is to not go into the ocean. It’s similar to living a focused mundane life, you’ll avoid the pitfalls that plague others in everyday life. Problems such as drugs, overspending, lack of purpose, and more. If you’re focused on your work, especially for those that have a schedule or a plan to work on your interests every day, you won’t have time to get distracted and wander into those areas.
I saw this lesson clearly when my friends asked how to save money or how I avoid not wasting time when I’m home. I told them I knew exactly what I was going to do when I was home — Read, write or learn something to apply in life. It was an automated response but I told them I don’t have time to do other stuff because I’m doing stuff that I like. I like to call it a positive opportunity cost — by doing positive things with my time, it takes away negative things I could do with my time.
Perhaps the more important thing about knowing what you’ll do is that you now have a purpose. My purpose is to strive for mastery in all my areas of interest so everything in life is somehow connected with improving those areas each day. Even on days when the motivation isn’t there, it’s still easy to do work because I know what my end goal is. When you don’t know what your goal is or what you’re working towards, you just “drift” in limbo. I believe one needs to commit to something to reap the full benefits of “life”. Think of relationships and dating, sure dating many girls or boys is fun, but only when you commit to a long-term relationship that you can possibly explore and feel what love is.
But be flexible
We just talked about committing to something but it’s a constant reminder for myself and others to explore other things that you may possibly like. Always take a step back and see what you’re currently doing then add or subtract from your schedule. You never know what you might be naturally good at or the joy it brings to your life so keep an open mind. Sometimes, what you’re working on just doesn’t provide the same satisfaction as it did, there’s no shame in switching it up. I have to remind myself that I only get one life and it’s okay to quit something to start another.
The mundane life can also become addicting that you avoid everything else life has to offer. Make room for relationships, friends, and family. Share your passions with each other and inspire them to work on their mundane schedule as well.
I also understand that being able to lead a mundane life is a privilege. Not everyone has time that allows them to do focused work. But it’s also not an excuse to not make an attempt. Anytime we commute or when we have a little free time, we can always work on something. It’s a long-term game, and every action we take matters. What’s mundane for you will be a goal for others.
Live your best life by living your “boring” life.
Until next week,
Scott
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