"All the gear and no idea".
I love that term and I think we can all self reflect on how it applies in our own lives.
Take a look around at all of the technologies we have at our fingertips right now. Be it the latest software or the latest hardware. Plus all the tactics and tools that are available. There is a blog post or a YouTube video or a course for pretty much everything today.
We are not short of tactics or tools, that's for sure!
Yet what I think we're often lacking is the underlying direction or put another way: the idea.
I think we've all been guilty at one stage or another of charging around like (enthusiastic) headless chickens with no clear understanding or strategy for what we are trying to achieve - the end goal. If only we could take the time to pause and reflect and think about where we are actually trying to get to? Maybe it is a result of today's frenetic lifestyle or our temptation to limit our attention spans to short snippets of information (e.g. tweets) rather than take the time to really think deeply about a subject - such as our destination...
I am the first to admit that I love playing with the latest bits of tech and software. I can't tell you how much money I have invested (or wasted!) on sites such as Appsumo. Believe me, I can't wait until Black Friday (although I suspect my wallet can...)! I've got an arsenal of technology in terms of both hardware and software and I'm raring to go. To unleash it.
And then I have to pause and remind myself exactly where I am trying to get to…
I don't think I'm alone in this respect. I see it all around me. And that's why I admire those handful of people who have a laser focus on what they are trying achieve and will often operate with minimal tools or tactics.
In their case:
Hardly any gear and plenty of idea.
I think that's what we should be aiming for. To be clear on our objectives and distraction free. But part of me wonders whether that might be a little boring? Heck, I like playing with new shiny tech tools and, yeah, I like reading tweets.
Maybe I should aim for more of a happy medium.
Something along the lines of:
A fair bit of gear and enough idea.
What do you think?