This is how we hack our lives

We are all hackers in our life. Maybe we don’t see it, but we really are.

It’s in our way of doing stuff. And probably this will be the way for the next generations to come.

Remember when you were little, and your parents made you eat something that you didn’t like? And that at some point, you just threw it away and lied about eating it?

Or when you were preparing for a school exam, and you only studied some specific chapters because you’ve noticed that those are more mentioned by the teacher? That was hacking.

For sure, you had some books to read that you’ve screened and then just got further to the end for conclusions. That was also hacking.

Have you ever memorized the A, B, C, D answers to a test? Hacking!

Or have you played a board game and learned by heart all the winning steps? Hacking again…

If you think that hacking is only for computers, you are wrong. Hacking is in our blood.

It is the process from which we find shortcuts to get things done. Think about anything in your life as a system composed of parts that can be decomposed and recomposed over again, with specific rules to be understood and optimized.

It’s quite challenging to add new stuff to a plan and to regularly think about how it can be done smartly, to check every to-do list and move on to the next one asap. But, sometimes, we might feel like Mario from that well-known video game: just jumping for new tasks, chasing for completing missions, and gathering rewards. On and on again and again. At home and at work.

And all around us do the same thing. Constantly moving. Constantly asking. Constantly not giving space to overthink or even just think attentively. Everyone is now hacking things in life chasing to be more efficient. And it also seems much easier to do so with all the future technologies emerging. But, unfortunately, we aren’t always aware that efficiency is not the same thing as being effective.

Effective (adj.) — Adequate to accomplish a purpose; or a person skilled or able to do something well.

Efficient (adj.) — Performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort.

People are always jumping to the next step, quickly moving forward, burning development stages, running faster and faster… but to where?

Juniors are moving to management job titles without any experience.

People are marrying after one month of dating.

Teenage girls have stomach reduction surgeries to lose weight much faster.

Drivers speed past your car just to catch the same red light as you.

Of course, there are lots of moments when you need hacking in your life.

But, there are also moments when you need to take it one day at the time.

Choose wisely.

Photo by Justin Luebke on Unsplash