Think First of the Hassles

Is there anyone who isn’t busier than they think they should be? I work alone and have a ton of free time, and yet even I feel like I’m constantly doing something I have to do. But it’s never something I have to do because it’s been handed down from on high– it’s because I’ve created obligation for myself.

I had an extra projector in my RV that I had intended to sell for a while. But I got busy and never spent more than a few days in my RV in a row, so it remained there until I bought my place in Vegas.

I brought it to Vegas so that I could watch a UFC fight. The way my living room is arranged is absolutely perfect for a projector. I can stuff it under the chaise-lounge part of my craigslist couch and it projects on the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, the one I really want to demolish, but is load bearing.

I was so excited about the projector that I tried to use it the next afternoon. But it was so sunny that the picture got washed out. It’s a portable projector, not a full-blown home projector. But its value is about the same as a bigger one, so I resolved to finally ebay it and bought a big projector.

The new projector worked great, even in a fair amount of ambient light. As I looked over the box it came in, I noticed that it was “3D Ready”. That would be pretty cool, I thought. So I ordered a pair of $20 3D glasses off Amazon, and waited.

Two days later, I was two hours in to trying to figure out how to get a 3D movie on the wall. I tried different programs, different 3D movie sources, and different settings on the projector. This all felt like a big hassle.

And then it hit me– I don’t even watch anything that comes in 3D. I would literally only use these 3D glasses once in a while to show how cool it was. And here I was, toiling away at a frustrating project.

It’s so easy to think of the benefits of something, the cool moment where you watch ten minutes of a 3D movie, for example, but we never count on it being a hassle. We assume that everything will go as planned, and are surprised when they end up going off the rails and filling our time.

A couple years ago, when all I did was work on Sett, these things never happened. I had no time for pointless projects, so I didn’t engage in them. I still remember that as one of my favorite times in my life, even though most of it was spent cloistered in my RV, working on a project that ultimately failed.

I think that a lot of my fond recollections have to do with the fact that I had no extra obligations in my life. I woke up, I coded, and I went to sleep.

Some things are worth the hassle, of course. Getting a yurt on the island took up a ridiculous amount of my time and was one of the biggest hassles of my life. But I love the island, feel great when I’m there, and am excited about what it might become someday, so it’s worth it to me.

Everything can create hassles, from tiny purchases to trips to relationships. Pay attention to them, assume a reasonable chance of things not going according to plan, and make sure it’s worth the hassle. I resolved to be more vigilant about doing the same as I packed up the 3D glasses and sent them back to Amazon.

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Photo is sea ice when I was flying really far north. Never seen it before, but maybe it’s because flights that north always seem to be at night?

I’m about to start my Amtrak Residency! Goal for it is to finally finish the editing and last few chapters of my next book about social skills. I think you guys are going to love it, and I’m really grateful to have a nice chunk of time to work on it.


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