The infinite monkey theorem and how it doesn’t help your personal growth
5 decisive steps toward smashing your career goals
I learned about the ‘infinite monkey theorem’ a few months ago, and it was a light-bulb moment for me.
“A monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type any given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare.”
I did some maths and discovered that a monkey has a 2% chance of constructing a meaningful four-letter word if it randomly hits any four keys on a standard typewriter. Frankly, those odds are not bad for a monkey who has all the time in the world.
But your personal development is no monkey business! And you probably care more about your future than the monkey does. Personal growth might help you:
- Master a skill such as programming, influencing, or storytelling
- Become a trusted leader
- Make better decisions
- And so much more
So let’s get you started with this five-step proven methodology for personal development, which will increase your odds of becoming successful in your development goals:
Step 1: Stop following your (old) passion
If I had a dollar for every time a life/career coach told me to follow my passion blindly; I’d be driving around a vintage Aston Martin on the Amalfi coast. Passion is an emotion. And like other emotions, it changes with time. Don’t be too harsh on yourself if you don’t feel passionate about something you felt excited about in college. Find what excites you now and give it your best shot.
Step 2: Start at the end
This might sound cliched, but get a paper and a pencil and start writing down your long term goals because you will forget them otherwise. Now that you have a sense of where you’re heading try to imagine a path from point A to point B. That is from you where you stand now to where you want to go.
In my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to set stretch-targets.
Step 3: Break it down
As you begin to think through the journey ahead of you, you will likely feel a little lost. And that is okay! You are doing it for the first time, and there are too many variables. Consider breaking down your long term goals into smaller milestones. Accomplishing these milestones will give you a sense of achievement, which in turn will give wind to your wings to fly higher.
Step 4: Cover and move
Millions of years ago, when ancient homo-sapien started to live in groups, they came up with the cover and move tactic. It was so efficient that millennia later, it remains just as relevant in accomplishing shared goals.
This little tactic can help you achieve your goals. Find someone you trust, ideally someone who has taken a similar path. Bounce your ideas off of your coach/mentor and consider their advice carefully, so you don’t have to repeat the same mistakes they did during their early days. If you want to go the distance, go together.
Step 5: Check, mate
Breaking your goals down to smaller milestones also allows you to pause and reflect regularly. It is also an opportunity to recalibrate your compass and chart new coordinates to your destination. Need perspective? Ask your mentor to help you evaluate your progress and make it a habit.
If you still need more convincing, hear it from Mr. Homer Simpson. He is almost always right:
