Insights on Purpose

Viewing Life as a TV Show

Read time: 2.6 minutes

Welcome to Insight, my weekly newsletter where I dive into innovative writing techniques to help you improve your mindset, health, wealth, and skills.

The Story:

I always struggle with choosing a single path.

I have too many interests and not enough time to pursue them. Most would say that’s a waste of time. Trying to do everything. But I like to think it gives life more spice.

But I would get overwhelmed with what I’m trying to do like a clown juggling bowling balls, swords, and a flamethrower while drinking a glass of water.

A mistake was bound to happen. Something slipped through the cracks. I didn’t expect it to be me. One day I collapsed from exhaustion. I knew something had to change.

First, I tackled learning.

I wanted to learn better and be more effective. So, I created a Don’t Know Database to help me learn faster. It worked great. I dissected information and go at the roots of the problem.

But I still felt disconnected.

I was learning but there was no common theme. I was jumping from topic to topic. From microeconomics to behavioral psychology to biographies to stoicism.

I was doing stuff, but I didn’t have a clear direction.

The Insight:

Until I borrowed an idea from fiction writing: View life as a TV Series.

1 season = from birthday to birthday
1 episode = 1 day.

There's no 1 purpose for your entire life. There are multiple purposes for each season. And those seasons build upon each other creating the TV show of life.

But each TV show has 1 goal: Make it compelling to watch.

But that doesn't mean doing crazy, dangerous stuff.

  • It means having depth.

  • It means having intentionality.

  • It means having meaningfulness.

The Application:

Viewing life as a TV show helped me organize my interests into seasons:

But even better, I got clearer on my values. I prioritized what I cared about and made sure they were included in my show.

I borrowed a schedule from Michael Faraday— an18th century scientist who built the 21st century.

My current theme for this season is to make more time for:

  • Friends & family.

  • Reading & writing.

  • Exploring new areas.

What will be your theme for this season of your life?

That’s all folks!

See you next time.

—Mohammad Khan

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