This is a really great metaphor, thanks for sharing.
I’m just wondering whether you can climb more than one staircase at a time? After all in a previous essay you described 4 key pillars of life - and at least they might have their own “staircases”?
Yes, at any given moment you are likely on 10s or 100s of different staircases, but progress on any of them happens one 'at a time' - taking a single moment as the shortest unit of focussed time.
Of course in the same day/week/year, you will likely make progress on relationships, personal projects, health and work, but the progress usually happens in sequence (i.e spending a couple of hours/days/weeks every day on each staircase)
For more larger projects like careers, its really hard to climb two different staircases at the same time, as time & effort gets split, so its much better to pursue only one thing for a couple of years before shifting.
But it can be done - Elon Musk is a perfect example of it. Derek Sivers also has great thoughts on this: https://sive.rs/balance
This is a really great metaphor, thanks for sharing.
I’m just wondering whether you can climb more than one staircase at a time? After all in a previous essay you described 4 key pillars of life - and at least they might have their own “staircases”?
Hi Zan, thanks for the kind words.
Yes, at any given moment you are likely on 10s or 100s of different staircases, but progress on any of them happens one 'at a time' - taking a single moment as the shortest unit of focussed time.
Of course in the same day/week/year, you will likely make progress on relationships, personal projects, health and work, but the progress usually happens in sequence (i.e spending a couple of hours/days/weeks every day on each staircase)
For more larger projects like careers, its really hard to climb two different staircases at the same time, as time & effort gets split, so its much better to pursue only one thing for a couple of years before shifting.
But it can be done - Elon Musk is a perfect example of it. Derek Sivers also has great thoughts on this: https://sive.rs/balance