FAQ
What Is The ForrestXYZ Project?
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The ForrestXYZ is my master project to manage myself. I started in 2009 when I was inspired by Thomas Edison’s extensive documentation system. I was intrigued about how one man produced 3,500 notebooks in his lifetime.
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Since buying and filling up my first little notebook, I have exhausted hundreds of notebooks. Over time, I transformed my notetaking from analog to digital. Currently, I have over 50,000 pages of documented ideas in my digital ecosystem across every domain.
As I interests widened and deepened, I realized the value of building an extensive management system for myself. The ForrestXYZ required sacrifice and years of my life to build it from the ground up. Now, I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor.
The ForrestXYZ doesn't mean I can do everything. It simply enables me to switch gears and adapt to new seasons. My system houses, collects, and implements unique approaches, ideas, and methods to accomplish those goals.
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Ultimately, everything in my life falls under 1 of 12 categories:
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Organization
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Physical
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Mental
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Spiritual
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Chronological
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Financial
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Material
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Knowledge
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Skillset
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Creative
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Social
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Business
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Naturally, these divisions have further branches, which are restructured periodically. However, these 12 categories have been staples to my continuous improvement endeavors.​
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Do You Believe If You Focused All Your Energy On One Specific Discipline or Skillset That You Would Be Regarded The Best In It?​
Absolutely not.
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We are all built differently. Some of us are built to excel in one field, while others cast their nets wide to deliver in multiple domains. I am in the latter category, and I'm certainly not alone.
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However, generalists often face scrutiny from people. There's an idealistic belief that following a straight line is the best and only way to make progress. It's heavily emphasized in school systems and businesses because it's easy to adopt and maintain a sense of certainty.
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In reality: progress is nonlinear, and the calculus of improvement is never constant. The most unpredictable breakthroughs and revelations drive innovation forward.
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Here are a few examples:
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Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin because he unintentionally left a window open overnight during a bacterial experiment.
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The Wright Brothers were hobbyists who achieved aviation at a time that leading scientists concluded was unachievable for countless generations.
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Percy Spencer transformed microwaves from communications devices to appliances in every kitchen worldwide—all because a chocolate bar melted without reason!
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The list goes on.
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My goal is not to be the best; it is simply to be effective and deliver world-class results.
Being the best is arbitrary. What may be the holy grail for one person might be a dime-a-dozen Solo Cup for another. Additionally, being the best never guarantees results, as life is poly-dimensional.
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However, I strongly advocate learning from the best. More importantly, we should regularly incorporate their methods into our skill sets and character. This leads to continuous improvement and improves adaptability.
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Moreover, popular high-performers have hidden talents. Here are a few examples:
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Albert Einstein was a physicist who played the violin.
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Barack Obama is an influential politician who loves performing stand-up comedy.
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Carla Harris is a Wall Street banker and opera singer.
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Condoleezza Rice is also a concert pianist.
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Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance Man, in general.
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This isn't restricted to popular high performers. People around us have hidden talents we don't see. Unfortunately, they are afraid to share them for fear of being considered ineffective. Additionally, we might be blind to them due to our one-track minds that crave simple answers.​
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Even I used to be this way until I asked myself if there were others. Now, my goal is to help others realize all they have to offer.
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Do You Get Passed Up For Opportunities Because You're Perceived As A Jack of All Trades?
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I'm sure I have, but it's not important to me. That's like crying over a few lost grains of rice when there's an entire rice farm left to harvest.
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However, most people find me because they have a specific problem they want to solve. That's normal.
What's unusual is that they stay because they have other things they want to work on.
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Usually, we start with an essential service to address an immediate concern. Then, we pivot to see what other things can be address to save them the headache of finding a ton of specialists.​
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A good example is with my tutoring business. Most of my stakeholders find me to help their kids in math. Then it's all subjects. Then it's creating custom beats for kids. Then it's capturing family portraits and graduating senior pictures. Other skills may come into play depending on the needs of both students and stakeholders alike.
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What happens is my services become transformational and holistic. Instead of a just tutor, they get a tutor, academic strategist, beatmaker, photographer, and whatever else is in my wheelhouse.
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Usually, this question is asked due to society's ingrained belief in a common misnomer: the Jack of All Trades. Did you know that the Jack of All Trades quote is often misrepresented?​ Here's the true quote:​
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"Jack of all trades, master of none, often better than a master of one." –Shakespeare​​​​
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As someone with a Bachelor's Degree in environmental science with substantial training in ecology, I can confirm from data that those who generalize in their niches have a higher probability of surviving than specialists. It is not the strongest, fastest, or smartest that survives––it's the most adaptable and resilient.
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Naturally, a "jack" will be able to adapt better in most situations.
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If I cannot figure it out, I'll admit it and recommend someone else who can if it's urgent or a real specialist is rightfully needed. However, many parts of my portfolio were built from trying out new things I hadn't done until then.
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At that point, it comes down less to specialization and more to having solid systems and a sound strategic plan that adapts to life's curve balls.
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I know that it's hard to believe someone when they say they can do multiple things well, which is why the ForrestXYZ exists – to show proofs and invite you to test me on them.​​
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As a nod to Shakespeare, I'd like to amend his quote for more modern times:
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"Jack of all trades, master of a few, I'm capable of more, and so are you" –FMSBaird
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Do You Aim To Be The Master of Everything?
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Not necessarily; I only aim to deliver world-class results in crafts that truly pique my interest.
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It's a beautiful goal with no end. After all, the most remarkable people in their fields always strive to improve, so I must do the same to the nth degree.
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Thanks to extensive experience, systems, and strategic thinking, I master new skill sets quickly. As a result, I piece the puzzle faster using patterns from multiple domains.
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Are There Skills That You Haven't Showcased Yet?
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Yes. Even though I've spent years on this project, there's always more work to do. Indeed, I have to deal with reality's tradeoffs between doing meaningful work and having market-ready proofs of concept.
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Luckily, this means there's never a dull moment in my life, so I'm always working on something new.