I’ve been thinking lately about how I can improve myself, or, more accurately, what the barriers are to my growing at a higher rate. Interestingly enough, all indications point to a single source — self-control. I’ve thought for a while now that this was the case, but this article really laid it down for me. It’s true; it’s undeniable.

When I look at things I’d like to improve, they all hinge on my ability to tolerate mediocrity. And I suck at it. I have not succeded in life because I’m dedicated to success and am able to make sacrifices; I’ve done well because I’m pretty good at what I enjoy doing, and those things happen to be marketable. It’s luck, really.

To get to “the next level” I need to be able to grind. That’s what “regular” successful people do — they grind away at mandatory, tedious tasks until a goal is reached. Example? Diet. I am losing years off of my life because I can’t stand shopping and cooking. So instead I eat whatever’s within 6 feet of me when hunger calls.

Another example? College. Successful people grind away at often boring classes until they have a degree. I, on the other hand, started performing extremely poorly as soon as I figured out I loved computers. I couldn’t do the boring stuff anymore; I had found my obsession.

That’s lame.

I’m essentially not in control. I’m just really good at taking advantage of my abilities. If I didn’t have any abilities I’d be screwed because I am not good at grinding.

Exercise is another one. I don’t go to the gym often because I hate having to drive over there. It’s tedious. Not partaking of beneficial activities because they are boring is dumb. Really dumb. I really wish I could stop…not doing these things.

So what’s the answer? How can I get “into” these things. Shopping, driving to the gym, cooking a meal, etc. I desperately need the answer here. I know I can force myself to do these things once I get into the proper environment, but I need to be able to do them everywhere. The proper enviornment won’t always be there.

What’s the solution here? Is this teachable? I know the answer; I just want to know what you guys think…

I got to visit the Harvard campus while I was in Boston last week. It was rather ho-hum actually, but I had a very strong feeling leading up to it.

As I considered which campus to visit — Harvard or MIT — I was taken back by a rather strong pang of envy. I felt all of a sudden like I wanted one of those educations.

This happens to me every once in a while — I’ll get this feeling of, “Given what I’ve accomplished with my education, imagine what I could have accomplished with a degree from (Harvard | MIT | Stanford | CalTech).

This strikes me as quite…not me. I’m really not one for regrets or negativity of any sort, so I don’t see why this keeps springing up on me. It could have something to do with my still being a senior in college, i.e. not done with my bachelors. But even then my degree wouldn’t be from one of the amazing schools mentioned above.

Sadly, I think I’m experiencing some semblance of belonging-syndrome — the feeling that makes people want to join gangs, churches, and fraternities. Odd that it would happen to me this late, and only about prestigious universities…

Anyway, not quite sure how I’m going to deal with it. It’s not really bothering me that much or anything, but I dislike cognitive dissonance in my life. I shall seek it out and crush it.

According to this article, those in information security with a bachelors degree get paid little (if any) more than those with just a high school diploma.

This doesn’t suprise me.

Many are saying that this means that college doesn’t matter — that it’s worthless, etc., but they’re way off. The problem is the quality of education. Overall, the standards for someone with a 4-year degree are way down from where they were 10 or 20 years ago. The difference between a high-school graduate and a college-educated person back then were quite significant.

Today, however, we have people graduating with Bachelors degress that can’t do basic multiplication and division in their heads, don’t have basic problem solving skills, and have a horrible grasp of English.

Because of this, there are a TON of people who only have high school under their belts that compare to or surpass those with these degrees.

But make no mistake — someone with a degree from Cal Tech, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, etc. is going to blow away all but the most talented high-school graduates.

Bottom line — don’t confuse most college education with a good college education. The first is essentially what high school should have been. The second is truly an exercise in how to expand one’s abilities.

As for information security, the reason there is so attention paid to whether or not you have a degree is because being successful in the field requires talent and intelligence. If you have these things you’ll go far. If you don’t, you won’t. Ultimately, certifications and degrees are peripheral to this fundamental rule.

An excellent piece about how so many miss the point of what college is:

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/archives/2005/11/yourcollegeis.html