The Quiet Skill That Changes Everything

THe other day I was listening and semi watching this video by Naval Ravikant and it occurred to me that one of the odder pitfalls of adult life is how sensible it can feel to continue down a path that is not right. You’ve invested time, you’ve built momentum; people expect you to keep going (I’ll post on the Sunk Cost Fallacy syndrome over the next days to reflect on my past years in a project I was involved with). And then a small voice shows up: “This isn’t it.” Most of us hear it and then open another tab and keep climbing.

The Mountain Problem

It’s just one metaphor that won’t leave my brain: You’re climbing a mountain, you’re well up it, and you see the summit isn’t there. To get to the real one, you might have to go down and find another route up. That hurts. It may also be the smartest thing you do this decade.

The problem isn’t intelligence. It’s identity. In other words, the thoughts the rush through our minds, such as mine;

• “If I change direction, does that mean I’ve failed?
• “What will people think?”
• “What about all that time (and often money) I already spent?”

Here’s the blunt truth: sunk costs don’t become wisdom just because you keep paying them.

A Practical Test

The way I see it and question myself in all things that I do is, am I (in other words, are you) you climbing out of pride or purpose?

Ask yourself:

• If nobody knew I was doing this, would I still choose it?
• If I were able to “restart” without feeling embarrassed, would I continue?
• Am I solving the real problem… or defending my past decisions?

You don’t need some kind of dramatic reinvention. Sometimes all “start over” means is: stop forcing it.

Inspiration Is Perishable

(is no longer to be treated as if it were in some museum)

Inspiration has a half-life and should not be treated as if it were in some museum. You feel the inspiration. You sense the inspiration. You see the end result in your mind. And then, you wait. You refine. You question. You convince yourself you’ll go through with it “later when it’s cleaner.”

And then, the energy has vanished.

This is one of the most pervasive productivity fallacies: motivation is something that you can stockpile. You can’t. Not reliably. Therefore, it is not “be more motivated.” The move is act faster when the spark appears. There are lots of folks that touch on the topic, good inputs and ideas as well, like James Clear. I took a shot at the topic as well and you can find my mini-guide on Amazon available in digital format.

The Rule I Try To Live By

Based on the video by Naval (and I just got around to watching it recently), but it resonated and hence my message is similar – when you are inspired, take the first ugly step.

Not the whole project. Just the first move that makes it real.

• Open the doc and write the headline.
• Book the call
• Order the thing you need
• Sketch the outline
• Ship the draft to a friend

That’s how ideas survive.

Impatience With Actions. Patience With Results.

This might be the cleanest “performance mindset” line I’ve heard in a while: be impatient with actions and patient with results.

Meaning:

• Do the work quickly (without rushing it).
• Avoid expecting instant payoff from complex systems

Most people act the opposite way:

• theyprocrastinate on actions
• then they panic about results

I know a long time ago that I have, and that is how one finds themselves busy and behind at the same time. (It is a horrible combination.)

A Simple Operating System

1. Move fast on what you control (calendar, effort, reps, drafts, outreach).

2. Detach from what you don’t (timing, approval, algorithms, market mood).

3. Measure in weeks and months, not afternoons.

It’s not “zen.” It’s just reality: outcomes lag, which brings me to

Work That Feels Like Play

There’s another line worth keeping: do what feels like play to you, but looks like work to others.

That doesn’t mean it’s magical every day. You’re building around a form of effort you can sustain longer than other people can (and man that is something over the years I have learned the hard way – ask my wife). That’s all the advantage.

Some examples that aren’t romantic, just real:

• The person who genuinely enjoys writing can produce clarity at scale.
• The person who likes tinkering can iterate products faster than “disciplined” competitors.
• The person who loves teaching can build trust in a crowded market.

If it feels like punishment, you’ll need constant willpower. And willpower is a terrible long-term business model.

Make Empty Space

Here’s a productivity take that sounds obvious and is still routinely ignored: you need blank space to think. Not “scroll space.” Actual emptiness. I need to find the video again, but roughly four weeks ago I saw another video about someone talking about just sitting still and after 30minutes of that, how you come to conclusions. I use to mediatet frequently. Something I have not done on a consistent basis recently, however with all the things happening in the past months, and if you knew me, you’d know why, finding that “empty space” was hard.

If your calendar is wall-to-wall, you’re not “high-performing.” You’re just unavailable to your own life. The funny thing is: the best ideas often show up after boredom, not during sprint mode.

My Non-Glamorous Recommendation

Protect one block per week that is meeting-free, input-free, and expectation-free (just like in the video). Call it “Thinking.” Call it “CEO time.” Call it “Don’t book me unless the building is on fire.” Just don’t give it away. The video also hits on ownership and leverage – building things that scale beyond trading hours for money.

I’m not a financial guru, and I’m definitely not here to tell you to quit your job and “build a brand.” But the principle is worth understanding:

• If your income is perfectly tied to your time, your ceiling is logically – time.
• Ownership (equity, a product, IP, a media asset, a skill you can multiply) changes the math.

Even if you stay employed, you can think like an owner. I always have regardless of my role or job title. I treated every expense, every cost, every sale as if it were my own business, and trust me Ive dealt in large numbers:

• build reusable assets
• document systems
• create things once that help many times
• increase your “permissionless” output (writing, shipping, building)

No hype. Just arithmetic.

Key Takeaways

• If the summit isn’t what you thought, starting over can be the brave move, not the dramatic one.
• Inspiration fades. Capture it with the first ugly step.
• Be impatient with actions, patient with results.
• Build around effort you can sustain: play for you, work for others.
• Protect empty space. Without it, you’re maybe productiv, but not thoughtful.

One Challenge (next 24 hours)

Pick one idea you’ve been “holding” because you want it perfect.

Within the next 24 hours:

1. Do the first irreversible step (publish the outline, send the email, book the session, buy the domain, start the doc).

2. Block 60 minutes of empty space on your calendar this week – no meetings, no content, no errands.

That’s it. Two moves. Big signal to your brain.