Here's why speed matters

That was a Tweet I made a few days ago. 

Let's talk about "speed" (not the drug you filthy minded person, you).

Why do I think speed is important? Well, on a surface level I think the reason is obvious. Get stuff done, quicker. 

Here's the thing: it's not always about getting stuff done quicker, though. It's about "getting stuff done". Period.

I like to move fast on my decisions. Just like in my blog about confidence, to posses the skill of quick decision-making is incredibly beneficial in many aspects of your life. 

In order for us to dissect this issue, let's figure out the potential main cause of "lack of speed"...

It's....

So what causes us to be "indecisive" when it comes to decision making? I think there is no one size fits all when it comes to uncovering this mystery. What I can do is give you some thoughts based on my own experiences in my (personal and professional) journey (I basically do that with every blog post I write so maybe I should stop with the disclaimer lol):

1. Too Many Choices - Man, this one sucks! We all know this feeling. Which snare should I use for this beat I'm creating right now? (I've got 25GB worth lol). What type of vibe am I going for right now? It's Tuesday. Should I get beef chorizo tacos or go with the Baha-fish? I made 10 songs last month. Which song should I release this Friday? Do I get the everything bagel or go whole wheat? (I know most of these are silly problems lol so bare with me for this example)
2. F.O.M.O (fear of missing out) - If I choose "A", I will miss out on what choice "B" or "C" could have been!!!! I don't want to miss out on those outcomes! They could be better.
3. Confusion/I Don't Understand - It's tough to make a decision based on outcomes or choices you just don't understand. Heck, it's tough to do anything when you're feeling confused. If you don't know what you are choosing and you don't know anything about the outcomes, you immediately feel stuck. Feeling stuck will either force you to walk away or make a decision not based on any real calculation or feeling.

 

So what are we to do to alleviate this problem of "decision making" so we can increase speed and performance in our everyday lives?

 

Now, I'm not an expert in this and I'm still learning how to deal with these types of things every day. But, what I can say is that I've been lucky enough to build a habit (I started to implement this habit 15 years ago) to make quick decisions.

 

Are you ready for the secret sauce?

 

It's pretty silly. Just warning you...

 

Here we go...

 

The secret is...

 

To not give a f*ck.

 

That's right..

 

I treat most choices and outcomes as EXPERIMENTS and I let go of all expectation on what may or may not happen.

 

Yes, it's easier said than done (like most skills worth practicing) but I promise it will arm you with the ability to achieve goals you never knew you were capable of reaching.

 

So how did I start this process of creating a habit to "let go" and treat things like an experiment?

 

First, it starts with training your mind to let go of all expectations. Seriously. ALL OF THEM. Not some. All. I'm going to use another bad example lol: You've never had sushi before. All of your friends are telling you that sushi is delicious and that you're crazy for never wanting to try it. It freaks you out because you're not comfortable with the idea of eating raw fish. So one day, you decide to go to a sushi restaurant (by yourself) to finally try some sushi. You don't know what to order, you don't know what anything means and you're scared to death to try it. What you can do in this moment is this: Don't convince yourself that it will be bad. Don't convince yourself that it will be good. Just tell yourself that you're going to try something new and it's going to be a cool little experiment for you to try. There is no good or bad outcome. It's just an experience and you appreciate the fact that you get to try this new food. In fact, it's exciting and fun to experience it. Whether you like sushi or not, it will be fun to try.

 

Here's what happens after trying the sushi for the first time: you'll either love it, hate it, or kind of like it. But the most important thing is that you DID IT. You actually tried sushi. Now you know what it tastes like. You've accomplished something! You no longer have to swim in a cloud of suspense and confusion when people talk about sushi. If you end up loving it, you've added another cool delicious thing to your life that you can experience anytime you want. If you don't like it, you've crossed that off your "don't eat this ever again" list. 

 

Either way, you've experienced PROGRESS.

 

Progress is the key to getting things done. 

 

I personally love sushi. I didn't always love it. But when I finally tried it, I fell in love lol. It's ok if you don't.

 

The point I'm getting at is this: Whether you're deciding on what sushi restaurant to eat at or what type of snare drum to use or where to go to College or what DAW you want to use to make beats, just know that you were meant to make the choice you were meant to make in that moment. Whatever choice you make is the right one because you would've gained something more from it than not making any choice at all. 

 

Not making any choice at all will get you nowhere.

 

Choose something. 

 

It will always be better than not choosing anything.

 

Get stuff done.

 

It will always work out at the end...

 

Let me know if you have any experiences or insights on "getting things done" in the comments section below. ❤️

 

- Illmind

Founder

Blap-Kits

Ramon "!llmind" Ibanga Jr. is a 2x Grammy Winning/10x Grammy Nominated multi-platinum music producer who's worked with artists such as Kanye West, J Cole, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce & Jay-Z, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Romeo Santos, Lin Manuel Miranda (Hamilton + Moana) 2 Chainz & many more. He is the founder of "Blap-Kits" and "BidPacks NFTs", a series of "beat-making" tools available for music producers which eventually helped pioneer the now multi-million dollar per year "drum kit & sound pack" industry. As a consistent advocate and voice in the music production world, his weekly Spotify podcast "Illmind Put The Loop On" boasts a die-hard music producer driven following, including industry special guests such as Boi-1da, Murda Beatz, Ryan Leslie, Russ, Brian Michael Cox and many more. He is also known for traveling to various cities, bringing together up-coming music creators in "secret studio locations" to network, vibe, play music & engage in their creative community.