I think many people in my generation are troubled by the same affliction. It’s easy to have ideas, but much harder to act on them. There are numerous reasons for this tug-of-war between aspiration and reality, which I’d like to explore in turn.

Firstly, we live in a world of immense abundance—particularly an abundance of choice. Yes, there are more things to buy and consume with money, but there are also more ways to spend our time. Never before have humans been able to exchange their time directly for services, without first converting that time into money. This isn’t a revolutionary concept; it’s common knowledge to anyone living in the digital age. We spend so much of our time online, contributing to various digital fiefdoms, often more than one at once (I’m drafting this post in Google Docs while simultaneously listening to Spotify). The players in the internet’s feudal system compete primarily for your time and only secondarily for your money. Even so, one’s time is already valuable to them simply because of the information it generates—and because of the content they can expose you to. The assumption is that the money will flow in the wake of time as everyday users might eventually pay their way into a higher “class” within the given platform or ecosystem.

Within this wealth of choice is an ever-expanding selection of entertainment: media, television, video games—so many ways to occupy our minds, yet not necessarily to captivate them. In many respects, I believe that people like Dr. Anna Lembke are right to characterize digital entertainment as a new class of drug that artificially stimulates our brains. Of course, there are clear benefits to the internet as well: education, creative tools, and professional services have never been more accessible, but these services struggle to compete with the more primal allure of entertainment in the time economy. Still, despite my own misgivings about social media, there is some research suggesting that it can increase work efficiency if used “properly.”¹ Ultimately, anything we dedicate our time to involves building a relationship with that thing, and the nature of that relationship dictates how it affects us. There are certainly some things—like hard drugs or acts of harm—that I and many others would argue one simply cannot have a positive relationship with. But for the most part, these relationships are what we make of them. And for me, at least, my relationship with digital media leads me to think that our thoroughly entertained state fosters complacency, disincentivizes genuine aspirations, and promotes fabricated ones.

Secondly, people can think much faster than they can do. We all have dreams and visions of our future, but those visions almost instantly outpace our present efforts. This impossible game of catch-up has led me to believe that things must be done “right” to be worth doing. By which I mean that the first hurdle I place in front of myself when approaching a new project is always much too daunting. Quite a bit of psychological literature speaks to the drawbacks of perfectionism, which can be crippling when paired with anxiety. While I wouldn’t say I’m anxious about imperfection, I do find it difficult to break large tasks into steps that are not just achievable, but instantly actionable.² The truth is that only practice can make you more effective at any given skill, so you shouldn’t make it too hard for yourself to practice turning ideas into reality. In fact, I’d argue you should make it as easy as possible. Yet the temptation to set high barriers is definitely strong. There’s a distinct dissatisfaction when your creation doesn’t match your ideal, not to mention the fear of publicizing something you consider sub-par (a fear I’m contending with right now). But again, the only way to improve is to do, and the best time to do it is now. You’ll never have more time to make your dreams a reality than you do at this moment. Thus, the greatest advantage you can give yourself is to start now.