3 reasons why you should go wide, not deep

To see results in a new field you want to master, you need to focus. Not really.

That's what I used to believe. But today I actually practice the opposite. Here's how I learnt that lesson...

When I was 18 years old in the army, I started selling things online to earn a side income.

This field was called "Internet Marketing". I spent all my money buying courses and videos online, teaching me skills like SEO, copywriting, driving traffic, affiliate marketing, product creation. Over 2 years, I spent over $25,000 on different courses and programs on that topic.

That was all the money I had.

At 20 years old, I burnt through everything in my savings. But with sheer persistence, I started getting some decent results. 2.5 years after I started, I crossed my first 5 figure month.

But it's not because of any one magical course or system that I found. It's because of the 2 years I spent learning everything I could about that topic of "starting an online business".

Same thing happened when I first wanted to invest and grow my money.

I started off many years ago buying ETFs and dollar cost averaging into the SPY every month without fail. Then I realized it wasn't my thing. I needed something more stimulating.

So I started learning how to trade Forex. And then futures and commodities.

And slowly shifted to learning how to invest in companies. I started off buying net-nets. These are dirt cheap businesses with asset values higher than their stock prices.

Didn't work for me.

It's only after discovering how to invest in growth companies where I found what works well for me. It matched my personality and love for reading. Analyzing business models and reading annual reports till I turned blue in the face. That was my thing.

Time flew by when I was doing that. And my effort also translated to results.

Today when I want to master any new topic, I don't go deep. Instead, I go wide. Here's why:

1. It helps you develop awareness of your unique self

In any field, there are many different paths to heaven.

You can use completely different systems and still become successful.

But most people don't get results because the system they're using is not matched to their unique combination of strengths and personality.

So at the beginning, it's important to go wide first before you decide to double down.

It will help you discover what suits you or doesn't. What you like and dislike. So that eventually when you find something that clicks, you will know why.

This will be different for everyone.

2. Develop pattern recognition

In any field you want to get good at... whether it's business or investing or most other skills... you need to connect the dots.

I was able to finally get results in my online business because I spent time and money learning everything under the sun on that topic.

So when the right system finally showed up, it all clicked for me. But it's not because of that magical system you just found.

It's because you learnt what works and what doesn't work.

Over time, you're able to spot patterns. You know what to do, and what to avoid.

To connect the dots, you first need to know where all the dots are.

3. Success in any field is about mastering the 3-5 key fundamentals well

When I first heard this years ago, I found it liberating.

I just needed to find out what the 3-5 key things are in any field, and my life will be easy. Wrong.

Sadly, to find out what these 3-5 key principles and foundations are, you need lots of exposure.

It's only through time and repetition that you'll be able to uncover this. So be willing to go wide at the start, and think like Indiana Jones.

To know where the treasure is, you first need to know how the map looks like. And you can only find out about that if you sail to the different ends of the Earth.

Gradually you will learn what are the 3-5 things that truly drive results in your field. Only then, do you start to go all in.

But you have to be patient. This will take time to discover.

-Max

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