I’ve optimised my life for optionality. I do this by being judicious about what obligations to take on and which not. This means I miss out on a lot, but allows me to give the few things that I do take on the degree of attention I’d like to give them. Recently I came across this post:
Be very deliberate about taking on obligations. The obvious example is debt, which I talk about all the time. Most people make debt decisions based on their current situation, and not an evaluation of all reasonable outcomes over the term of the loan. Rather than worrying about the debt before they assume it, they are forced to worry about it over the term of the loan… Obligations extend beyond finances, though. Everything you purchase, especially large purchases, comes with some obligation.
– How to be carefree, Tynan.com
This was another, new way of looking at my principles. Consciously minimising obligations not only means I can focus on things that matter to me but also that I remain mostly carefree. Of course the things that I decide to involve myself with will have their worries, but I know they’re part of the journey.
End note: I’m still not sure why optionality is valuable to me. I’ve been told that it’s a fear of commitment, that I shirk responsibility. As I’ve cultivated a better relationship with myself, I’ve begun to realise that I have always been a curious person – more than average, and about a wide range of things. Because it’s difficult to indulge one’s curiosity without flexibility, it’s natural I’d want my life to have optionality so I could explore or experience things I was interested in at any given time.