Training yourself for greatness
Ever Felt Like What You're Trying to Accomplish Is Taking Too Long? Good.
As they say, anything worthwhile takes time.
This blog might be a little different, but give it a shot, and then let me know what you think.
Mindset Matters
Now, I am a big believer in mindset. It is the most important thing to get right in life. It is the foundation of your success.
It is actually easy to tell where one's life's direction is heading - simply by looking at their mindset.
One of the key mindset issues I love exploring is: The easy path vs the long path.
I believe that if you want to achieve something, you need to earn it.
The fruit that you climb to pluck will always taste sweeter than the one that was given to you.
The Illusion of the Easy Path
What do I mean by this? Taking the easier route is indeed attractive, but it will never be as meaningful as it should be.
Taking the easy path is not sustainable, ever. It's just a short-lived solution.
To achieve greatness, you need to make sustained efforts.
Sustainability requires much initial effort, but it benefits you for much longer
An interesting fact about me: I have never cheated in an exam.
Do you think I like studying? Hell no. I just like being proud of what I have personally achieved.
If I cheated, that 'A' grade would not mean as much as the 'B+' I'd have achieved with honor.
It is much better to live a life with pride and honor than one with shortcuts & lies, isn't it?
Building a Strong Foundation
When you decide to take the harder and longer route, it definitely takes more time—but you will have built yourself a strong foundation and gained invaluable experience.
For example, if you go through a major personal issue in your life, you have 2 options:
Shortcut: You ignore it & suppress it with alcohol, drugs, etc.
Long path: You lean towards self-help to understand your brain, mental health & awareness.
We both know which one will benefit you in the long term.
The Journey vs. The Destination
When you take the harder path, you set yourself up for way more opportunities.
When you take the shortcut, you only focus on the destination.
But the truth is, you benefit more from the journey than the destination.
For example, let's say you want to learn a musical instrument. You have 2 options:
Short cut - (Destination): Attempt to learn how to play your favorite songs.
Long path - (Journey): Master the basics.
Again, we both know which one will benefit us in the long term.
Connection to Photography
What I have been talking about applies to everything in life. But here's how it can apply in photography:
Example 1:
Short Path: Zero patience when shooting, traveling to the most accessible areas, shooting your subject without prior knowledge, etc.
Result: Quick likes and followers, minimum growth, zero fulfillment.
Long Path: Waiting longer, traveling more remote, studying your subject, mastering basics, training your creative eye, etc.
Result: Unique photos, recognition for originality & creativity, long-term growth, and personal fulfillment.
Example 2:
Short Path: Use other's presets to edit images
Result: Short-term likes & followers, 'aesthetic theme', limited understanding of editing & lack of originality.
Long Path: Master editing basics
Result: Advanced knowledge of editing & a unique personal style.
Longer Commitment = Longer Connection
The longer time you spend on something, the more likely you are going to understand & connect with it.
If you spend 2 weeks reading a book (longer path), you are much more likely to understand the main idea - compared to when you spend 30 seconds watching a video (shorter path).
The brain places importance on whatever you give more energy to.
You are much better off at learning something when you spend more time trying to.
In a world of short attention spans, it is very difficult to retain information.
That is why I started writing blogs - long-form content - to connect better with my audience.
I started the blog because Instagram began to limit photographers' reach, and it became very difficult to connect with my existing audience. Even if the number kept growing, the depth remained shallow.
It is definitely a lot harder to grow than on social media, but it is so fulfilling to me.
Writing helped me be authentic by allowing me to write whatever I wanted - just like I am doing right now.
Anyway, thanks a lot for reading till here, and I hope it inspired in you some way.
I'll be very happy to hear your thoughts! Reply here/ message me (@spotclickpost)
Till next time,
Dhir
