Ten Years of Experience VS Living One Year Ten Times

What is ten years of your life worth? I've heard a quote from Tony Robbins saying, "We overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in ten years." I think that's true, but it's not a guarantee.

To grow takes intention. It takes shaking out of your comfort zone and breaking out of familiar grooves. I keep hearing stories of "senior developers" who are not performing at a senior level, and their decade(s) of experience simply haven't amounted to much.

I think nothing could be sadder than to look back and realize that a decade of experience was actually just living the same year 10 times. This can happen for several reasons, which we'll explore below.

You Wait for a Teacher

This is the real difference between school and real life: in school, you have a succession of teachers whose whole job it is to push you one level higher before handing you off to the next teacher.

While there are teachers and mentors in "real" life, there is no other time when someone is actually paid to be invested in you. You have to organize your own education, take risks, and hopefully you'll encounter mentors and influences along the way.

Life Just Gets in the Way

Life is hard. It's exhausting. Especially as a parent and a full-time employee.

Your employer is happy to fill your days with busywork and non-promotable tasks, which may engender goodwill in the short term but actually don't amount to much and don't push you to the next level.

However, I think this is one of the strengths that my parents instilled in me from a young age: it's okay not to do everything, and it's okay to let boring or unfulfilling tasks fall through the cracks.

Life Is Too Comfortable

Another challenge we face is that modern life can be too easy. It's becoming a well-known trope that we are in the middle of a comfort crisis. It's absolutely understandable why, though.

All the rough edges have been sanded down. We can watch what we want, have a stranger bring us our groceries, and even go multiple days without seeing another human being if we so choose. If life gets too boring, you have an infinite distraction machine right in your pocket.

Breaking out of this comfort zone is challenging, and it takes discipline and intentionality. So, what can we do to ensure we're making the most of our time?

So What Do We Do?

I'm always trying to figure that out for myself. I am one of the first people to run away from discomfort, and for decades I designed a life where I could control every moment. I simply avoided presenting and public speaking at work, because the discomfort was too much for me.

But in this decade of life, I've made some changes. I've become diligent in my fitness, which is an easy way to practice literal discomfort on a daily basis. I joined a band and became the unofficial "front man," which gave me practice just being in front of people and being seen. And I started this blog.

When I found myself deeply in a rut with work, I realized it was a problem but I was also quite comfortable with my salary and a non-toxic environment. Those benefits are real, I don't want to take for granted. So that's why I am writing this now: this is my attempt to start a new craft, to live more exposed in the world, and develop a new skill on my own time. We'll see if it goes anywhere.

Making the most of our time requires conscious effort and a willingness to step out of our comfort zones. It's about continuous learning, prioritizing what truly matters, and embracing challenges that help us grow.

Do you have any tips for making the most of your time and your life? For ensuring that a decade of experience is truly worth 10 unique and precious years? Find me on Threads and let's talk more.