On Choosing What Not to Do
A construction project can take years from the first sketch to handover. Even when several projects overlap, each needs sustained attention. There are limits to how many I can give that attention to.
That makes the choice of what to work on part of the work itself. A project takes up time I cannot also spend on another one. Too many commitments leave less time to notice problems, revisit decisions, and do a job well.
I used to treat more as the safe default: more books, more opportunities, more projects underway. Reading makes the limit obvious. There will always be more books than I can read, so I have to choose which ones deserve the time.
The same question applies beyond work. What am I willing to spend years on? What can I leave alone? Choosing becomes harder when an opportunity is attractive but would take attention from something I already care about.
I still want room for things that are simply interesting, with no clear use. What I am trying to give up is the assumption that every opportunity needs to become a commitment.