mental itches

Modernity is in love with structure: keeping things routine and similar, daily habits, and the like. I don't necessarily have a huge problem with that. I love a good morning routine as much as the next person (especially when it involves exercise, lately).

But, my morning journey has changed repeatedly over the years; and I suspect will continue to periodically shift as my mental itches keep dancing. I used to wake up, meditate, then write music; Now I found myself waking up, meditating, then hitting the gym or the outdoors for a run (saving music for later in the day, where I would previously workout). So, even though we like routine, and normalcy, it doesn't mean that the content of said pattern is static.

These mental itches fascinate me, especially in the domain of knowledge: I am constantly changing my micro-hobbies or present-moment interests, largely based on the books I'm reading (which I tend to select from a variety of domains, from plants to philosophy to quantum physics). The mental itches in my activities have pervaded a huge variety of topics: I got really into fermenting sauerkraut, vegetables, and fruits at the beginning of this year; and now I find myself deeply engaged in efforts to improve my digital privacy and security.

Looking on a longer timescale, even more (seemingly) unrelated mental itches emerge: DIY electronics, such as building an electric skateboard and racing drone, while in early high school; bouts of origami and Rubik's cubes while in elementary/middle school. Plus more consistent adventures in exercise; However, the breadth continues to expand as I explore more subcategories (running, weightlifting, calisthenics, rock climbing, flexibility/mobility, cycling, swimming, triathlons, hiking, etc.).

It's wise to follow these mental itches, and scratch them vigorously while they're around, without resistance; Because they are impermanent. I've noticed previous patterns in my thought (dangerous "productivity" mindsets imposed from excessive social media and Youtube consumption) tried to restrict me to one thing, continuously, in an effort to become "the best" at it; or at the very least, better than I was yesterday. That mindset is fragile, and leads to self-doubt and a quiet veil of unhappiness (where your outside functionality seems spot-on, but you're really quite numb internally).

I've found it much more enjoyable, and life-enrichening, to switch mental itches when the moment feels right, and not force oneself to keep scratching a location that's been tamed. Often, that same spot will come back, in due time; possibly with ever more force (as I'm writing this, my itch to create music is again returning...). There are no awards being handed out for maintaining an itch well past it's expiry; It's not healthy.

The freedom to change interests should be encouraged, not hindered like it is in the growing craze of specializing children's extracurriculars. I feel grateful that my parents let me constantly switch activities growing up, instead of remaining imprisoned in something that lost it's spark, or that I outgrew. Everything I did had value in it's own way, from gymnastics to karate to Boy Scouts and beyond, and I would've missed something if I had only done one of those three for triple the amount of time (while gaining considerably less benefit).

We see this same incentivization for specialist skills in the workforce, with the highest-paying positions in a given field typically being extremely narrow in scope; The ones that come to mind are specialist doctors (Neurologist, Gynecologist, Cardiologist, etc.) and tech careers (Azure Architect, Network Cybersecurity, Back-End Developer, etc.). The high compensation of these positions is often attributed to their specialized knowledge in high-demand field; However, I think part of that salary is derived from the sheer lack of mobility and interest that comes from hyper-focus: these people must receive more money from these narrow domain jobs for them to be worth doing.

Perhaps I'm alone in this thought, but being a "generalist" has been much more enjoyable in my personal endeavors (consider the amount exercise styles I've pursued, listed above) than specializing, leading me to conclude such a generalist career style would be more stimulating in the long run that specialist work. It may not be a "big bucks" strategy, but often enjoyability and wealth accumulation are negatively correlated.

Scratch that mental itch, new interesting activity or book or knowledge sphere, whenever possible. Volatility is what oils the brain's machinery, and gives life its beautiful kaleidoscopicness.