Obsession is the shortcut to success
Nature has gifted us all with the best possible method to succeed: you achieve great heights when you are obsessed.
There’s a lot of talk on social media about mastering a skill and pursuing it relentlessly. But how can you master a skill if you have no inclination towards it?
If money is all you seek, you won’t achieve mastery. Ever. Mastery means being so deeply immersed in a skill that you can practically feel it in your body. The skill becomes part of you and your muscle memory. There is no precise measurement of depth required to attain mastery, and no fixed number of repetitions to achieve it. This can only come from doing it until your heart says you have cracked the code, and your mind feels the satisfaction of arriving at the destination.
If you are obsessed with achieving mastery in a skill, you won’t have to seek motivation from the outside world.
When I discovered my love for writing stories, I had no idea how to tell them. I sat down and wrote a story in my native language, which was not English. Of course, I failed at it. But it was a start nonetheless. I needed that start to realize where I was lacking.
I started reading novels—a lot of them. Years later, I penned another novel. It was 70,000 words long. I deleted it. I wasn’t satisfied with the output. I went back to the drawing board, frustrated.
How in God’s name can I learn how to write good stories?
I was already obsessed by this point. I picked the novels I loved most and read more of them. This time, I read them with intention and purpose. I started decoding these books in a way only a reader with a writing problem can. It took many years before I started working on another novel.
This time, I was satisfied enough to publish it. It was 129,000 words long. I was still not happy with my work, but I was satisfied.
I continued to write short stories and have written 10 of them now. I could survive for years writing and learning about storytelling because I am obsessed with writing stories in the best possible manner. I love reading stories. I love telling stories. There’s no two ways about it.
I am obsessed to the point where it has become my identity. I don't mind it. This is what I wanted.
Pick an obsession that you don’t mind taking up as your identity.