Everything Matters

The staircase in our Paris Air BnB

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, writes "3-2-1," one of my favorite newsletters. I rarely disagree with his practical wisdom. Today I do.

In his 11/11/2021 newsletter, he argued “it’s better to do nothing than to work on something that doesn't matter.” I get the drift — doing nothing is better than wasting time on the wrong things like, say, pursuing work or a project that doesn’t help you make progress in the direction you want to go.

Time is your most precious resource, etc. His point is powerful and important. It’s just not absolute.

In my experience, what does and does not matter can change suddenly. Meaning and context are inextricably connected, and we don’t control context.

What’s more, matter and doesn’t matter are rarely binary. There are usually multiple choices and gradations.

Finally, what matters is often only clear in retrospect. Life is trial-and-error; you can’t think it all through ahead of time. Sometimes the only way to discover what does matter is to do what doesn’t matter until it becomes obvious. Sometimes walking through the wrong door leads to the right path.

In other words, everything matters. The stupid shit, the missed opportunities, the wasted time, all of it, because everything has the potential to teach us, expand us, make us wiser, more compassionate, more accepting.

Dithering while trying to define/divine what matters leads to paralysis. “But does this matter? Does this REALLY matter?” I could ask myself these questions forever. Believe me, I've tried.

When I’m unsure about my next move, I try to start by taking a small step in the most promising and/or interesting direction. Do something. Gather a tiny bit of data. Then I see how I feel, sniff the wind, and take another small step.

I might get lucky and hit the jackpot. Or I might go the wrong direction for a long time before I realize I've lost the scent. But I couldn’t know it any other way.

That’s life.