I have great news. You don’t have to know what you want to “do with your life.” Or who you’re going to be “when you grow up.” You don’t need a five-year plan. Or a resume that “makes sense.” You don’t need to forecast your life. You don’t need to figure it all out. You just need to keep iterating.
Iteration is the rhythm of personal evolution
Iteration is the circular rhythm of evolution: experimentation, reflection, and refinement. Repeated as often as necessary.
This repetition forms the process of personal evolution (your becoming) that is the path to those full-potential feels of freedom, fulfilment and joy. Planning can’t give you those feelings. But iterating can.
Because remember, full potential isn’t a destination someplace in the future. The opportunity to live to your full potential is now. Right now. In each moment. In each iteration.
Freedom from the paralysis of perfectionism
When you give yourself permission to iterate, you free yourself from the paralysis of perfectionism and the idea that you need to figure it out first. Instead, you get to try now. And figure out a better way next.
Iteration is an invitation to follow your instincts, to experiment, to take risks, to be playful, to explore the edges of yourself. To see what’s possible. And upgrade as you go.
There are no failures. Just discoveries.
Through iteration, you forgive yourself of the debt of regret. Because there are no regrets in experimentation. Just discoveries. Your next step can never be a misstep if it’s an iteration. And an iteration can never be a failure because failure is married to finality… and only death is final. So, in my book if you’re iterating, you’re succeeding. Because you’re out here, really livin’, kid.
Just figure out what’s next.
There’s no award for who figured their shit out first, or who had the best plan, or who held their job down longest, or who met their soul mate soonest. No need to freak out about what you want to do with your life or where you’re going to end up. Just figure out what you’re going to do next. Then get out here and f*cking iterate.
Experiment. Reflect. Refine. Repeat.
Shed a skin. Try again. Take things down to parts. Rebuild. Fall in love. Say goodbye. Have a good idea, change your mind. Buy. Sell. Make something. Keep what works. Make another version. Throw out the batch. Rinse the bowl. Begin again. Try the thing. Tweak it. Pivot. Make it better. Pay attention. Keep going. Experiment. Reflect. Refine. Repeat. Planning is overrated. Iteration is where it’s at.
