People who spend their money on the slim chance to win millions are derogatorily referred to as gamblers. “These people have a problem and need to get help,” but I understand the satisfying feeling of spontaneous and beneficial discovery. Or in their case, discovering their bank account several times larger than it was mere seconds ago. These people aren’t really addicted to spending their money. They’re addicted to serendipity. And sure, some extra money is a pretty shallow victory.

This came from a question on a HackerNews thread.

So I used to have problems starting projects – I would plan/read/design etc and then never actually get around to doing anything concrete; I have overcome that issue. But now I find myself not being able to finish anything. I end up with little software projects that are half-done and abandoned because I lose motivation once I solve the ‘interesting’ challenges. When there is a clear path to the finish, I suddenly become disinterested.

This is something I still struggle with quite frequently. I’m not certain if it’s a particular chemistry in my brain or just a personality trait that I’ve developed over time. I find myself constantly hungering for interesting ideas and ways to solve problems. So much so, that the mental exercise of arriving at a unique solution has become a fun pasttime. This “not being able to finish” might seem like the main problem here, but I’d argue otherwise. Admittedly, the “problem solving” is hugely satisfying; more importantly than that, the problem that you’re trying to solve should be just as satisfying.

Everyone once in a while, I offer to help other people be awesome. I’m not qualified at “Being Awesome” by any authority, but people seem to like my brand of advice. So I continue to offer it. This is a post that was adapted from one of these exchanges. The question was “What’s your advice for landing a really cool job that you enjoy right out of college? Not just getting a job that you take because you need to have a job and end up despising.

All day long I see stickers, licence plate frames, and other marketing contraband attached to the back of go-mobiles advertising awesome dealerships that have swindled these folks. Yes. Swindled. Every day, they are hocking these dealer’s  names at virgin eyeballs like mine and likely are passing up on an opportunity here. Next time, you start to walk out of your saleman’s office at the dealership, consider a slightly alternate reality: