#69 Evening Questions

I basically write the same song over and over, but they’re just verses of this one really long one. I’m trying to figure it out.

The Tallest Man on Earth

I write every day so I start to understand what I really want to say.

I don’t usually get it right on the first try; maybe I’m not even getting close after 100 iterations.

And that’s fine.

There probably won’t be one post that captures it all.

Maybe understanding emerges from whole of the 100 iterations instead?

Sculpting away, day by day.

Talking about “good and bad ideas” implies a ranking. Good, compared to what? Bad, compared to what?

The truth is that most ideas you produce will be average – because there is no other way.

Not all ideas can be your best idea – and if they are, they will soon be replaced by a better idea. Your previous best idea has now become average.

Not all ideas can be your worst idea either. And if they are, they will soon be replaced by an even worse idea. Your worst idea has now become average.

This dynamic matters. Because if you produce an idea a day, compared to someone producing one idea a month, your chances of replacing your current best idea with something better are much higher.

You’ll also likely replace your current worst idea with something even worse – and that’s fine. You’re increasing amplitude in both directions. It’s all part of the practice.

The more ideas you have, the bigger your sample size. The more elaborate the ranking. The better the good ideas. The worse the bad ideas.

All this to say: bad, average, and good ideas ALL stack the odds of striking gold in your favor. What matters is that you show up and generate ideas.