It was the epitome of user experience to be able to leave a message when the other person failed to pick up our call, to be able to drive fifty kilometres without charging the electric car again, to have a web page load in under a minute, to have a camera embedded in our phone (however lousy), to be able to read a message on our smartphone notification without opening the app.
And yet, today, they are all hygiene or less.
When we didn't have those experiences, we would either wish for it or be amazed when we came across a product that enabled it. With time, however, other products catch on and what used to amaze us turns into something commonplace that every product offers. And we begin to crave for the next level of improvements.
This is the simple reason why the product economy will always exist. We will always aspire for something more in the things we use and the experiences we have. We will always notice a room for improvement.
The same is true in what we want for ourselves. I was recently talking to a friend about The 0.7 Club and was telling her how I'm trying to have the most productive year ever, and she asked me why I see a need to go after more and why I'm not satisfied with what I'm already doing.
I have heard this line of argument several times, especially when it comes to money. The whole concept of minimalism is built around this idea of being content with less and not aspiring for more.
However, what most people fail to see is that that isn't transferable to all spheres of life. Even the minimalism movement only talks about being content with less material things and money instead of continually aspiring for more. And that is an idea I thoroughly subscribe to.
And yet, I seem to contradict myself when I tell people I'm working to make this my most productive year so far.
Of course, I see through it and realise there is no contradiction at all. When it comes to my skills, my knowledge and personal growth, I am like most customers with constantly rising expectations. The moment I hit a certain level, I'm itching to go on to the next.
Not having this view of always moving goal posts isn't healthy as a life with nothing to aspire to isn't a live worth living. We always aspire for more of something. But it is up to us to decide what that something should be. Whether it should be money and material things or skills and knowledge and personal growth.
And yet, today, they are all hygiene or less.
When we didn't have those experiences, we would either wish for it or be amazed when we came across a product that enabled it. With time, however, other products catch on and what used to amaze us turns into something commonplace that every product offers. And we begin to crave for the next level of improvements.
This is the simple reason why the product economy will always exist. We will always aspire for something more in the things we use and the experiences we have. We will always notice a room for improvement.
The same is true in what we want for ourselves. I was recently talking to a friend about The 0.7 Club and was telling her how I'm trying to have the most productive year ever, and she asked me why I see a need to go after more and why I'm not satisfied with what I'm already doing.
I have heard this line of argument several times, especially when it comes to money. The whole concept of minimalism is built around this idea of being content with less and not aspiring for more.
However, what most people fail to see is that that isn't transferable to all spheres of life. Even the minimalism movement only talks about being content with less material things and money instead of continually aspiring for more. And that is an idea I thoroughly subscribe to.
And yet, I seem to contradict myself when I tell people I'm working to make this my most productive year so far.
Of course, I see through it and realise there is no contradiction at all. When it comes to my skills, my knowledge and personal growth, I am like most customers with constantly rising expectations. The moment I hit a certain level, I'm itching to go on to the next.
Not having this view of always moving goal posts isn't healthy as a life with nothing to aspire to isn't a live worth living. We always aspire for more of something. But it is up to us to decide what that something should be. Whether it should be money and material things or skills and knowledge and personal growth.
CONVERSATION