Get Goosebumps

Hearing an amazing soundtrack. Feeling the incredible emotion of a success story. Seeing a breathtaking natural view of the world. All of these moments produce awe and are goosebump worthy. They take your breath away and leave your mind blank with appreciation. In these awe-inspiring moments, you live entirely in the present moment. There is no reaching for a phone, no turning to talk to your neighbor, you are invested in what is in front of you. The moments where you get goosebumps are incredible. If you are invested in creating and following your own pursuit, you do not have a finished product until your work gives you goosebumps.

This idea does not discourage iteration and starting, it encourages it. Finding ways to produce the “goosebump” moment is a long journey. This journey does not happen overnight and is a journey that must be earned by maintaining a long-term time horizon. The journey to creating a goosebump moment is similar to the journey to mastery. It is a near-infinite journey where iteration, feedback, and reproducing are absolutely required. The best movies took dozens of takes to create the perfect scene. The best songs and soundtracks were listened to thousands of times before they were deemed good enough. The best books were edited and rewritten many times before they hit the shelves. The most awe-inspiring art was produced over many days, if not months, if not years before being shown to the public. In the natural world, any canyon that is breathtaking, any river passage in a valley, any cliff overlooking a beach, was carved away over thousands, if not millions of years. Awe takes time. Awe takes iteration. Finding and creating the “awe” moment showcases the care and belief you have in your own work. Without this care, you will remain mediocre.

The push to create a goosebump moment is a near-infinite cycle of iteration. It is an ongoing process of breaking down and rebuilding, of receiving feedback and iterating, of taking your product, and finding ways to make it better. No one should know what you are doing better than you do. It should be your duty, goal, and desire to produce the highest quality product possible.

This “product” can be anything. It can be a physical production of something you are making, it could be creating a higher version of yourself so your relationships flourish, and it could be a physical achievement. The “product” is a metaphor for how you should approach your life. With anything you dedicate your time to you should want to be the best possible. Focus on creating goosebumps and you will have that impact.