Creative people are always looking for what’s new and exciting. It’s part of what keeps the juices flowing.
The problem is, the “new and exciting” things are fleeting. And most of the time, they don’t contribute much. They are a way for creatives to get more views, to get a bit of validation, and to get their creative fix… but it doesn’t usually end up bettering the world, growing their pursuits, etc.
I find that in most things, it’s not the new and exciting that contribute to success, but the old and boring.
One of my favorite hobbies is watching the UFC. Some fights are creative. But the consistent winners execute the basics with flawless precision. Sure, a spinning back fist knockout is rare and impressive when it happens. Creative, even. But there’s nothing like watching a fighter put on a masterclass by eschewing the fancy and showing radical discipline and execution of the basics.
It’s the same if you’re learning an instrument, playing golf, building a business, or investing money. Do the basics. Become a master of them. Work them so hard you COULDN’T be bad at them, even on your worst day.
In short — be more bored.
Funny as it sounds, the way to win in most pursuits seems to be being more boring than everyone else. Maybe it simply comes back to the tortoise and the hare.
Instead of getting your creative fix with what’s flashy and new, consider:
Becoming so good at the basics that you can explain them in radically new, ever more understandable ways to help others catch on
Play the long-game to develop the next “timeless” things — things that don’t surface as a momentary tactic, but as a consistently repeatable result