myth – From the desk of Adam Thomas

There is no “race” to win.

No, there isn’t a competition between you and your coworker.

Nobody keeps track of anything until something is wrong.

No, there is no universal scoreboard.

If we let our ego tell it, the world is a reality show, and we are the star. We better do something big with our stardom too, because we could get canceled.

This idea is nonsense.

Take your time, do it right, and maintain your focus. The truth is, although we hear about the “Tortoise and the Hare,” in real life, there is no race.

Only progress.

We romanticized the “genius myth.”

“Genius myth?”

Here’s the idea: “real genius” is alone in a room. Once inspiration “hits,” the artist works on a problem until completion.

The “genius” doesn’t take the time to think about anything, she just walks in and gets to work.

After completion, the world has a beautiful piece of art, and she can relax, knowing she made something awesome.

It was an inspiration!

It’s also nonsense.

This framework sounds fantastic, but in life, it is dangerous.

That feeling leads us to rely on “inspiration” to get something done.

“Inspiration” is fleeting, and runs the moment fear pops up. That keeps us from the work we want to do that creates and leads us to the work that sustains.

It’s ironic that inspiration leads us to a life of subsistence, and nothing about subsistence is inspiring.

Always remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was it built all at once.