Aerospace engineers are obsessed with redundancy and backup systems. Russell knows that metals give, that gears slip, and that motors overheat, and he plans for that in his designs. Not everything has to go right in order for it to work. And that way of thinking shows up in every aspect of his life, including how he achieves his ambitions. Which I took as Extractable Lesson number two: His backup plans do not lead to different destinations, such as “If I don’t get into business school, I’ll be a schoolteacher.” His backup plans lead to the same destination, and if he has to arrive late by a back road, that’s fine.
this excerpt from What Should I Do With My Life really struck me. i feel like the person before this example, constantly going from one thing to another, never getting closer to my goal. argh. i’m rather frustrated. but this has increased my resolve to finish my degree (8+ years in the making so far) and to settle down and focus. parents have been telling me to focus for some 13 years. maybe i should start listening to them.
what is your goal, if you don’t mind my asking…
uh… dang, that’s a good question. i guess it could be to finally finish my degree. but that’s a superficial answer. the real thing i want to do is go back to Carnegie Mellon and finish my degree there. i guess i’m living in the past. it sucks.
so i suppose i need to sit down and actually establish my goal, then this post will make more sense.