The One-Skill-a-Year Plan for a More Interesting Life

Brett McKay (0:00)

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Brett McKay here, and welcome to another edition of the AOM Podcast, which since 2008 has featured conversations with the world's best authors, thinkers, and leaders that glean their edifying, life-improving insights without the fluff and filler. The AOM Podcast is just one part of the McKay mission to help individuals practice timeless virtues through thought, word, and deed. Also be sure to explore our articles on artofmanliness.com, read the deeper dives we do in our substack newsletter at dyingbreed.net, and turn our content into real-world action by joining the Strenuous Life program at strenuouslife.com.

Now, on to the show.

We all have things we've always wanted to know how to do, but have never gotten around to learning. Speak a foreign language, play an instrument, write a book, take up surfing. Maybe you've even started one of these pursuits a few times, only to drop it after a couple of weeks. My guest calls this collection of abandoned or deferred desires, Your Invisible List, and is the author of a book of the same name. Today in the show, Ravi Gupta presents a plan for tackling the things in Your Invisible List by picking one hobby-like activity each year and working your way to an intermediate level in it. He explains the different categories these pursuits can fall into, from the liftoff project, to the mental marathon, to the skill battle goal, and how to pick the right one for your season of life. We also discuss how camps for grownups can make skill acquisition more enjoyable, why you should consider taking up an adult appropriate sport like tennis, why Ravi decided to take the MCAT even though he doesn't plan to become a doctor, and how working on Your Invisible List can give your life chapters and over the course of a decade turn you into a renaissance man badass. After the show is over, check out our show notes at awim.is slash Invisible List.

All right. Ravi Gupta, welcome to the show.

Ravi Gupta (4:06)

Excited to be here.