The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool. - Richard P. Feynman
The notion that “I’ll do X, once Y.“ is a pervasive lie.
I’ll travel around the world once I make more money. Yet, someone traveled Europe on 5 dollars a day.
I’ll start investing once I am financial literate. Yet, Warren Buffett bought his first stock when he was an 11-year-old boy.
I’ll make positive impact in the world once I got a college degree. Yet, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in 1976 without a college degree.
The delusion of waiting for perfect timing to act is, in fact, a form of procrastination.
As an immigrant, many people, including the elder ones, tell me that I need a PR (permanent residence). Seldom do they bother asking: for what?
For happiness? It’s better to live in the moment and keep expectations low.
For feeling safe? It’s better to detach from the need of safety and pursue independence.
For autonomy? It’s better to start a business on your own and do things in your terms.
Visa is a proxy. Much like corporate processes, such as business plans, metrics, and meetings, are proxies of customer satisfaction. Those are pointless without offering product or services that customers want. Be skeptical about them, while a change in situation may render them obsolete. Skip proxies to confront the demon.
The real question is: now or never?