Never Enough

So little money yet so many things to spend it on. Today I had the chance to play with the lastest revision of my digital SLR, the Canon 40D. I've had my 20D going on 4 years now, and I'm starting to long for the current feature sets that my camera lacks. Problem is there are just too many other things on "the List" ahead of a new camera. I am considering selling my 70-200 f/2.8L IS, replacing it with the 70-200 f/4L, and then using the rest to offset the cost of a 40D body. It'd be a shame to part with such a nice piece of glass, but I'd be lying if I said the 50% reduction in weight wasn't a temptation.

Photography is one of those shiny things that will never get left behind. It might get put on the shelf for a while, but it will eventually get picked up and buffed to it's original shiny-ness again.

Cocoa Programming

One of those nagging "shiny things" that I come back to from time to time is Programming with Cocoa. I believe myself to be a pretty advanced computer user. I try to wring the most out of whatever machine I'm using. Every now and again I run into a problem or need a specific tool and there just doesn't seem to be a feasible solution out there. And I think to myself, "I can't be the only person who has this problem, wouldn't it be great to write a little app to take care of it". And so my attention is drawn to Cocoa. It seems approachable and doable, and there are a ton of great resources. Yet something holds me back, maybe I'm mistaken, but it feels like an all or nothing proposition. So, what do I cut to make room for it in my life? I can't pick. And so it goes back on the shelf, patiently waiting for me to notice it's shiny-ness again.

Shiny Things

For a long time now I've struggled with one "failing" in my life, completion. It has always felt as if I've got hundreds of open ended, unfinished thoughts, ideas and projects, just waiting for me to get back and wrap them up.

Apparently I'm not the only one! This weekend, while attending the Seed Conference, I heard Jim Coudal speak to this very issue during his talk. He played a short film called 'Regrets' (it's ok, I'll wait while you go watch it, it's only a few minutes long). To summarize what he said on the subject, these moments of pursuing the shiny things aren't a weakness or failing at all. They are a powerful spark that can trigger an even greater creative endeavor. It is in our best interest to follow them where the might go, even if that's no where. We may be on to something pivotal and not even realize it yet. If that is not the case then you gain something valuable by learning from or through the experience. Thus our goal is not to "wrap things up" but to passionately go after the current idea and see where it leads you. It's ok to leave some things in life as loose ends, "unfinished" as it were. They are only failures if you choose to see them that way.

Contrary to my previous belief I'm not alone in my pursuit of the next shiny thing, and so as Gary Vaynerchuk put it, I'm embracing my DNA. Yup it's gonna be shiny thing after shiny thing, and hopefully learn something new along the way.