Focusing on short-term outcomes destroys creative work.
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Notes
There are two problems with being outcome-focused:
- It tends to favor short-term obsessions: earnings per share, bestseller rank, talent show wins, trophies.
- It discourages commitment to a practice, focusing on “measurable results,” fearing failure, and requiring that “the recipe is proven before we begin”
The problem with the first is that it leads to “banal, short-term, or selfish” choices.
The problem with the second is that it paralyzes us.
All outcomes come from processes. There are no guarantees, but if we want good outcomes—a meaningful journey, an original contribution—we must trust ourselves to develop good processes.
Susan Kare (designer of the original Mac interface): “You can’t really decide to paint a masterpiece. You just have to think hard, work hard, and try to make a painting that you care about. Then, if you’re lucky, your work will find an audience for whom it’s meaningful.”
Thoughts
Maybe it’s because I’ve listened to Seth for so long—and the Seth-adjacent crowd, like Tim Ferriss, Brian Koppelman, and others—but for most of the book so far I’ve felt like I’m the converted being preached to.
That’s not to say the converted don’t need to be preached to. I’ve come to a couple important realizations as I’ve been working, mostly daily, through the book. But I kind of feel like I’m ready now for advice on how to build the practice.
Maybe the problem is that I’m reading it wrong. Maybe it wasn’t intended to be read so slowly; maybe treating the chapters like a meditation isn’t the best way to approach it. Perhaps it’s meant to be read quickly, to let the repetition wash over me and sweep me off in a direction. (Note: I’m not mentioning the repetition as a criticism; in this chapter, he admits that it’s there on purpose: “Forgive the repetition, but it’s here for a reason”—that reason being to overcome a “lifetime of brainwashing” about the supposed importance of short-term or guaranteed outcomes.)
I am going to continue as I have, at least for now. At a chapter a day, more or less, it will take a good seven or eight months to finish, but I don’t expect that I’ll wait until I’ve finished before I start to develop the processes that comprise a practice. Indeed, I’ve already made some changes, as minor as they are, moving in this direction, which suggests that I can build the practice iteratively—making changes, additions, subtractions as I encounter new (or am reminded of old) ideas.
As for this chapter: I’m already a convert, at least intellectually. I’ve noted before my problem with having the wrong metrics, many of which are short-term. I’ve noted how I’ve been upside down, with so much of my time (especially when I’m on break) being spent on personal and work tasks, and very little time being spent on my creative work (sometimes no time at all!). I could keep on noting things, too!
But intellectual assent isn’t enough. I need to put things into practice (so to speak). Yes, I’m moving slowly. But if my outcome is long-term—building a meaningfully productive practice—as opposed to short-term—finishing the book—then I’m doing fine.
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.