The Bourne movies were a popular movie franchise starting with The Bourne Identity in 2002. The movie goer is introduced to a character who has no memory of who he is but an impressive skillset. As he searches for information about his identity, he finds more resources: money, multiple passports, weapons, etc. For the rest of the first movie and series, Jason Bourne is equal to every adversary and challenge that confronts him. Despite very little memory of who he is, he uses his skillsets to survive and counteract nefarious forces.
What if the story were the opposite? Rather than losing all of his memories, he lost all of his skills. As a covert operative for the CIA, he would probably get killed pretty quickly. The first fist fight, car chase, or sticky situation would end with Jason Bourne becoming Jason dead. It would not make for a very compelling movie, UNLESS! He started working to get those skills back. One of the reasons why movies are such a popular medium of storytelling is that they cut out the mundane and trivial. They only focus on the crucial elements of the story. So you would see Jason start practicing with knots and 30 seconds later, he would have the skill back. In real time, weeks or months may have passed with several bathroom breaks etc. in between. But in movie land… 30 seconds. The one advantage that ‘memory Jason’ would have over ‘skills Jason’ is that he could be more discerning about the skills he needed. He might know that learning French again was a waste of time because he doesn’t need to go back to Paris.
Even though I’ve made a slight plea for the second storyline, we all know that the first is far more captivating because it creates drama and an almost dreamlike situation. Many people want to have an unlimited skillset. It’s easy to want it but most people are either waiting for a Matrix-like situation or can’t sit through the slog of skill acquisition because it’s not 30 seconds. While the second movie is less riveting, it is the opportunity that we all have.
Our memories of our life show up like a movie. We have the highlight reel of what’s happened thus far and a set of skills. What if you took the time to acquire some new skills? They wouldn’t need to be Brazilian jiu jitsu or aggressive driving techniques but rather things that fit your life. Like learning Spanish, so that you can understand your Ecuadorian mother-in-law when she comes to the house to visit. Wood carving, so that you can make personalized gifts for friends and family rather than buying them. Or public speaking so that you feel confident in front of a room of people. There’s a list below to start the brainstorming.
As Tom Bilyeu says often, “Skills have utility.” At the moment, your present skillset has taken you this far. In order to get where you want to go, what skills do you need to acquire? Your movie is far from over and this could be the moment where the main character (yep that’s you) turns in a new direction. Just don’t forget that this is not going to be easy. Seth Godin’s concept of “the dip” applies to almost any new endeavor. You’re going to get excited and get some early wins but then, you’re going to have a long period where you see limited progress for major effort. It’s called the dip and you need to get through it.
You’re not Jason Bourne! You’re you. The story of your life up until this point is context but nothing more. The skills that you have are something but not everything. It may be worth the thought exercise to consider. If a person who is used to existing with infinite skills were dropped into your life, what would they do? What would they look to reacquire? Where would they focus? What would they prioritize? Then choose to go down that rabbit hole or not. You’re the main character. Figure it out!
Pete
List of possibilities:
- Learn a new language for heritage or travel reasons. Duolingo and other apps are available with your phone.
- Learn to sew, carve, knit, crochet, etc. These skills are productive and keep the mind sharps.
- Learn to play an instrument. It’s never too late and you do not particularly need to take lessons initially. There are lots of resources on Youtube etc. to start you out.
- Learn self-defense. While Brazilian jiu jitsu may be unnecessary, feeling confident in your ability to protect yourself may be well worth the time and attention.
- Learn to meditate. It may seem likes it’s not much of a skill but it helps with the calming of one’s mind rather than buying into the stress of a moment.
- Learn to cook. The ability to do more than put something in the microwave is a practical, helpful and confidence building skill. It also teaches a lot about expectations, failure and process.
- Learn about home repair and maintenance. Most of the things that need to be fixed in your home are probably not beyond your ability. It may just take a bit of research and trial/error.
- Learn how to engage with people in meaningful ways. Jason Bourne may a solitary figure, but that doesn’t mean you need to be. Figure out how to engage with new people or become better with the people you already know.
Huryk Unlimited 