Choice
Is George Clooney actually a great actor?
Or is he just great at making choices?
In 1789, you had just a few choices. Work for the potter in town, apprentice with your dad, of, if you were really smart, become a clergyman or possibly a teacher. That was it.
Today, not only do you have more choices, the variations in those choices matter more. Obvious choices, like, "should I quit my job today?", necessary choices like, "should I apply for a job at Google or an insurance company?" and more subtle choices–whether or not to start a blog, for example.
The movie business provides us with a clear window on what happens when people make good choices (and bad ones). Very few people–with the exception of Sean Connery or Daniel Craig–have the option of sticking with one movie forever. Everyone else in the industry makes critical choices on a regular basis. Smart choice makers do far better than those that don’t work at it. I’m willing to guess the value of smart choices is responsible for a 10 to 100 times difference in lifetime earnings in Hollywood.
I think the same is true for a career in programming, marketing or just about anything else. If you’re in the position to start a company, why didn’t you do it a year ago? Why not now? If you’re a programmer, why didn’t you apply to work at YouTube when the getting was good? If you’re a marketer, how are you going to spend your time and your money? Not choosing is still making a choice.