We all have goals in life, but it's important to consider the opportunity cost.
It’s the time we sacrifice by pursuing one goal instead of another. For example: if you spent 100 hours on your goal of learning to play the guitar, those are 100 hours you can’t spend learning to cook good meals—if that had been another option for you. That’s the opportunity cost.
It’s incredibly paralyzing to know that, by doing one thing, you’re missing out on something else. This has happened to me for years. I don’t commit to a goal because I know it will take up a lot of time that I won’t be able to devote to other things I’d also like to do, and I end up doing nothing. Has this ever happened to you?
Life is short, time flies, and this paralysis can last for years—and doing nothing also comes at a cost in terms of time.
I broke out of that paralysis when I realized that writing is what I'm meant to do. It's not just about writing because it's beautiful and I enjoy it. I write out of necessity. It's my lifeblood.
That automatically broke through my paralysis and made me realize right away that I had no other choice—that this was part of my life goals.
But there are many people who aren't so sure about this, who for years wander through life with their minds full of confusion because they don't know how to invest their time, out of fear of making a mistake.
To those people, I just want to ask three questions:
How important is it to you to make mistakes?
How serious is it, really, if you make a mistake?
What if you end up liking the goal of the hobby?
Hobbies are like blind dates: you have to give them a try to see how they go, and if you like them, you stick with them; and if you don't like them, you give them up and try something else.
To give you a little guidance, start by asking yourself:
What do you enjoy doing?
I know, it's a kind of strange question, but it's a great way to start thinking about possible hobbies that could lead you to new goals in life.
In the end, no decision is perfect. What matters is trying something new, opening ourselves up to life, and giving something different a shot to see how it goes. You won't know if you like painting until you paint, or if you like the guitar until you play it.
Start with what you enjoy, and you'll find your way.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Ana María De la Guardia