Everything is life or death.
Buying a washer and dryer might seem like a trivial purchase. Not for Steve Jobs and his family. Rather than buy one at the nearest appliance store, Jobs and his family spent about two weeks debating their family values in regards to a dishwasher.
Questions included:
“Did we care most about getting our wash done in an hour versus an hour and a half? Or did we care most about our clothes feeling really soft and lasting longer? Did we care about using a quarter of the water?”
In the end, they chose a German-made Miele washer and dryer, and Steve said, “I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years.” Joy in the form of a washer and dryer.
While this might be an example of taking life too seriously, it’s also a perfect example of how little we pay attention. Why wouldn’t you pay attention to what sort of washer and dryer you buy? Every decision has implications, so make the right decision by asking the right questions.
For me, this became clear when I had to make a decision about college. Do I care about having a degree, or learning and having a unique life experience? Do I care that all my friends are going to college? Does it matter what other people think of my decision?
Nearly every decision has a right answer—even if that answer is different from one person to the next—so find it. Next time you’re invited to something or told about a television show you just have to watch, ask yourself, “Does it matter that everyone else has seen it? Does seeing this show help me achieve my goals?”
If not, fuck it. Do life the right way, and make every decision understanding how important it is.