Choose the game you’re playing wisely - it may cost you otherwise

“When we don’t trust our own definition of what is good, we let other people define is for us”

I was having a deep chat with an old friend a couple of weeks ago. He’s an investment banking analyst at a prestigious bank in London. Many would say he’s living the dream life - £80,000 salary straight out of university, a sea of exit opportunities, and let’s not forget the army of LinkedIn requests! However, he couldn’t help but feel he was on the wrong path. He kept noting ways in which he and his colleagues were different: they're all about working long hours to get the highest bonus, whereas he wanted an easier ride; they're all about accumulating material possessions like the best quarter zips or watches, whereas he was content with just a few niceties; they're all about living the city lifestyle, whereas he prefers a more simple life, and only works in London because that’s where his office is based. Despite these frustrations, he continues to go on with it, living the lifestyle he’s not the biggest fan of, for the simple reason that it’s what everyone else says is the way to go.

This is what happens when we don’t define what a good life is for ourselves. We simply go with what everyone else considers to be good. This happened to me a couple of times at university - where I’d strive to achieve the highest market in the cohort, not because I wanted to spend those extra hours studying at night, but simply because it’s what those around me were chasing (and I thought I’d ‘fall behind’ if I didn’t do the same). Over time, I’ve realised it’s okay to look at a game other people are playing, and to completely ignore it if it doesn’t resonate with me.

So I’d encourage you to ask yourself: what is the game you're currently playing, and is it one that you really want to win? For example, do you want to start a YouTube channel because it’s something you’re genuinely interested in - or because it’s what every other hustle-bro influencer has told you to do in order to not fall behind? If it's the latter, you may find yourself regretting your choices when you reach the top.

Choose the game you want to play in life wisely.

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The piece of tech that I’ve been using the most these past 7 months. So many thoughts about this device - that go beyond the whole “Mac vs iPad” debate, which at this point I think is a pretty boring one.

Favourite Tech & Gear of 2024

My first time making one of these videos - I had a lot of fun during the process. Hopefully it’ll give you some inspiration for future gift ideas or tech that can add value to your own life.

Monthly Favourites

• Movies - Thunderball (1965). Been re-watching all of the Sean Connery James Bond films over the holiday season. For some reason Thunderball is always one I keep coming back to. Even though it doesn't reach the same highs as Goldfinger did, it's the one I enjoy re-watching the most.
• Podcasts - Mrwhosetheboss on TRS. Those of you who follower the UK's largest tech reviewer will know he rarely does interviews like this, so anytime he does there's bound to be lots of gold, and this interview doesn't disappoint.