Every new sun, something new excites me: juggling balls, baking triple chocolate cookies, rexing on the skates, bachata – it’s an endless list. Quite honestly, this is my favourite thing about myself. The best part of living in the 21st century is that with YouTube around, I can teach myself anything.

And this is where the trouble begins. I start my how-to-paint-with-gouache playlist with insurmountable determination, only to have it fizzle down by the 5th video or so.

I struggle with following it through. Bless the Internet, I have also learnt a framework around it: Excited Accountability.

Here’s a breakdown.

The Excited.

Step 1 is to throw yourself at a situation/projects you are enthused about. Building AI influencers. Making stop-motion videos for a local chocolate company. Solving the global climate crisis. Whatever you choose: it has to be something you deeply care about, something that gets your blood pumping AND also something where you need to know a skill you have very little/nothing of.

This is the first giving up checkpoint: One may find it risky, scary and (in the future) embarrassing to not know how to do something but apply yourself in it. For most people, the idea of learning on the job can be a barf-bag of uncertainty, yes. I don’t know what to tell them, not today. In my 20 years, however, I learnt to live by it with zero cases of disappointing any stakeholders. This is my version of living on the edge.

I say yes to any exciting thing that comes my way – even if I know like 0.7% about it – and trust my questionably smart self to figure it out. A certain passion to be a part of all things cool and exciting is what keeps me motivated.

And on figuring it out, here’s my quick tips:

1. Google (especially YouTube – gives me the world)
2. Ask a friend: This is why you make a lot of friends and build a large network
3. That’s literally it

I promise you: with this, I have unlocked all human knowledge for you.

The accountability

Now this is where we add stakes to the learning process. Here’s some examples.

Want to learn juggling balls?

Commit to performing at a friend’s kid’s birthday.

Want to learn how to bake triple chocolate chip cookies?

Invite friends over that weekend for coffee-and-cookies.

Want to learn how to animate?

Reach out to a local business and tell them you’ll make them an animated video for free. No pay, but you still gotta show up.

You see what I am saying?

The situation you throw yourself in has to be one that needs you to show up and impress. Something where if you don’t show up or if you don’t do an impressive job, you disappoint yourself. And also other few. (Try to adjust the Stakes lever in accordance with your tolerance to failures. Don’t make it too hard. And don’t make it very easy to get out of.)

There’s some pressure here – the good kind, optimum. It does not send a shiver down your spine or scare you into inaction. It does, however, boost you to do more, apply yourself a little harder, and ultimately achieve more than you thought possible.

I promise you: with this, you can ensure you acquire all the human knowledge we just unlocked.

Long story short

Key takeaway: Commit yourself to a challenge. Helps you learn better.

So go ahead, take that leap of faith. Embrace the unknown and challenge yourself to something new. Who knows? You might just surprise yourself.

See you around.

AK ❤