Do You Need To Optimize?

Many years ago, I was a passably good studio tech, skilled with a soldering iron and able to diagnose & repair a fair amount of musical and studio equipment. But I was not even close in depth of knowledge or skill to my friend Shea Ako. Shea is one of the smartest people I've ever met (he taught himself calculus so he could make custom projection-mapping software) and an astounding studio tech, but he was also an exceptionally easy going & practical guy.

The world of recording studios, musicians, and audiophiles is full of strong opinions about what is the best this or that, the right kind of resistors for vintage amps or the best brand of microphone cables or the best solder for audio quality. Shea was a guy who actually knew the difference, and his opinion was well-founded and full of common sense: all of those minute, esoteric details, which might improve the sound by 1-2%, were insignificant compared to all of the bigger stuff that people get wrong all the time.

Obsessing over specific details holds the promise that a thing can be great by optimizing a handful of factors. But unless there is a mastery of the essentials, that kind of focus is just a distraction from the things that matter most. The fanciest solder or perfect cabling doesn't change a home studio into a world-class facility, doesn't fix the problems with noisy power lines, doesn't make your rooms sound nicer, doesn't make the music better.

Instead of optimizing for an extra 1-2% of benefit, why not put your effort into the big things that take care of 80-90% of what matters?

Take physical fitness, for example. You can use the coolest exercise app, take the best supplements, buy the right gear, but if you aren't eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, all the "optimization" in the world won't matter. Sure, mastering the fundamentals is not as exciting as a new diet or workout plan that promises to change your life in a month. But it's also easier to start, easier to stick with, easier to make progress, and takes care of a huge amount of fitness goals.

Or take your money, as another example. We could talk endlessly about specific ways to squeeze an extra fraction of a percent out of your investment returns. But if you aren't consistently investing for the long-term, all of that optimization doesn't matter. Instead, we could have a couple of conversations, set you up with a strategy that helps your money grow in line with the life you want, and you can focus your time & energy on other, more intrinsically rewarding pursuits like spending time with family & friends. I know which one sounds better to me!

If you're already an elite, world-class performer in a specific area, then by all means: spend your time optimizing performance. Olympic athletes need to pay attention to what kind of shoe, nutritional supplement, or training style can actually give them an edge. Surgeons need to optimize their performance in the operating room because it could mean life or death. Race car pit crews need to relentlessly focus on maximizing efficiency to get drivers back on the road as fast as possible.

For everyone else, let's keep it easy by taking optimization off the table. It's ok to let go of the little details in favor of consistently showing up for the handful of things that bring the majority of results.

What do you think? Does this resonate with you? I'd love your feedback!

Thanks,

Timothy Iseler, CFP®

Founder & Lead Advisor

Iseler Financial, LLC | Durham NC | (919) 666-7604

Iseler Financial helps creative professionals remove stress while taking control of their financial lives. We'll help identify your current strengths and weaknesses, clarify and refine your long-term goals, and prioritize decisions to improve your financial well-being now and later. Reach out today to take the first step.