Dave Caolo

What’s your passion in life?

I’ve spent the last year or so trying to answer that question. Of course, I knew the answer all along, but was trying to ignore it.

Travel.

My life’s passion is to experience foreign cultures. I want to see the people, food, traditions and day-to-day activities that are nothing like my own. That’s what I want to do with my life — go everywhere and see everything.

Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Work Week proposes that we spend several months a year doing just that. This morning, I came across a story of a man, Andy, who’s been perpetually traveling for 10 + years. They’ve done it, why can’t I?

Here’s the clincher. From Andy

“I was bored with life in the United States. I had a successful business. I was making good money, had a boat, two houses. But I was bored. I wasn’t married. I was always waiting for the day when I’d get married. Then one day I just took off.”

Read the 5th sentence again. That’s right, these are single, childless guys. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t condemn my wife and kids for the life I lead. I love my wife and kids.

So, I’ve got a mortgage, two toddlers in school, etc. I can’t pull them out of school so I can go live in Switzerland for 12 weeks.

Tim would berate me for this. “You’re making excuses out of fear. Just do it.” He also suggests I create a product so wonderful it will generate $40,000 in sales per month via an automated, online system. Oh, is that all I have to do? It’s that easy? Thanks, Tim.

I don’t begrudge these guys. More power to them. But it’s not as easy for everyone. I’m just saying.

I’m still reading The 4-Hour Work Week. Today I was stuck by Tim’s abhorrence of multi-tasking.

He’s right on this one. There’s a mindset in our culture that venorates the busy. The more you can do at once, the better.

I call bullshit.

Imagine the busy executive. Arms flailing, a phone tucked under his chin, a Blackberry clacking in one hand and a mouse in the other, he’s doing four things at once. What a machine! He is the envy of the working world.

I see a guy who’s doing four jobs poorly. Specifically, he’s giving each project 1/4 the attention it deserves. Now, I know that it’s impossible to remain laser-focued on one task all day long (for instance, I’m eating as I type this), but you can do it 90% of the time.

The middle of the book has become a business/economics class, which isn’t what I was expecting, but I’m going to stick with it.