FAQ
What Is The ForrestXYZ Project?
The ForrestXYZ is my master project to harness systems and strategies.
In 2009, I was inspired by Thomas Edison’s extensive documentation system. He recorded over 3,000 notebooks in his lifetime.
This inspired me to buy my first little notebook. Since that purchase, I have exhausted hundreds of pocket-sized notebooks.
Over time, my note-taking transformed from analog to digital. As my interests widened and deepened, I realized the value of building an extensive management system for myself.
Today, I hold an extensive but curated system of ideas, processes, and action items in the ForrestXYZ. It required years of sacrifice to build it from the ground up using first principles.
Now, I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor.
The ForrestXYZ collects raw ideas and data to distill refined projects, processes, goals, and much more. Throughout the journey, the following became clear as day:
There are more similarities than we think.
This is not an invitation to throw blanket assumptions. Instead, it stands as an insight that enables faster progress by drawing on parallels from other disciplines.
The ForrestXYZ does not represent a "do-it-all" approach. It's an adaptability machine that enables me to switch gears in different seasons. Every season requires a different version of ourselves, and the ForrestXYZ enables me to jumpstart each season.
The ForrestXYZ contains 12 master divisions:
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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
Each division is home to further subdivisions and branches.
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. This is a faulty assumption about how everyone operates and how progress works.
Everyone is built differently. Some professionals are built to excel in one field. Others cast their nets wide.
A small handful live in the overlap—venturing deep in multiple fields while exploring widely in the rest. I realized early that I live in the overlap.
No path is without its challenges. Deep generalists often face their own scrutiny. These concerns are addressed by ideals that have been found to be obsolete or otherwise irrelevant.
Traditionally, following a straight line was seen as the best and only way to make progress. It's heavily emphasized in school systems and businesses.
Why? Because it's easier to foster a sense of certainty than it is to face reality's complexity.
Reality demonstrates otherwise—progress is nonlinear. Its calculus is never constant. Life moves through a unique series of highs, lows, middles, and plateaus. As we move forward, we celebrate in the mountains, reflect in the valleys, plan in the plateaus, and adapt along the way.
Many innovations are the result of life's curveballs. Here are a few examples:
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Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin when he accidentally left a window open overnight during a bacterial experiment.
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The Wright Brothers were hobbyists who achieved aviation at a time when leading scientists concluded it 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!
These innovations are not the result of being the best—they come from seizing opportunities. In the words of Bob Ross: "Happy accidents."
Being the best is arbitrary. The holy grail for one person is a dime-a-dozen Solo Cup for another. Everyone has differing opinions and criteria on who is the best.
My goal is not to be the best—it is to deliver world-class results. That comes from becoming better and more adaptable each day. Let being the best be a byproduct of continuous improvement.
I strongly advocate learning from the best. Studying and incorporating their methods is a cornerstone of the ForrestXYZ project.
Moreover, high performers have hidden talents. Here are a few popular 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 a politician and a concert pianist.
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Leonardo da Vinci was an architect and a Renaissance Man.
The list isn't restricted to well-known figures.
The people around us have hidden talents. Most are afraid to share them due to imposter syndrome. When they do share them, it's easy to miss them because we crave simple ways to remember people.
Even I used to be this way. When I asked myself if there were others like me, my eyes opened wider. Now, my goal is to help others realize all they have to offer.
Not sure if you're utilizing your talents well? Use the deathbed test. Ask yourself: "If I were on my deathbed, would I be happy with what I've done so far?"
Let that answer guide your future decisions.
Do You Get Passed Up For Opportunities Because You're Perceived As A Jack of All Trades?
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 ready for harvest.
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.
We start with an essential service to address an immediate pain point. Throughout the journey, we continue the discovery and then pivot to the next pain point.
A good example is my teaching business. Here's a progression I've experienced on multiple occasions:
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Stakeholders ask me to help their kids with math.
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We transition from math to all subjects.
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We build systems that keep students on track.
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We start building new skills beyond the classroom—coding, photography, music, and more.
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Parents ask if I can capture family portraits or senior pictures.
Other skills may come into play depending on the needs of both students and stakeholders alike.
Over time, my services transform to become more holistic. Stakeholders don't just get an educator—they also get a strategist, systems designer, beatmaker, photographer, and more.
This holistic approach provides stakeholders peace of mind by eliminating the frustration and headaches of hunting down multiple specialists.
Usually, this question arises from society's ingrained belief in another common misnomer: the Jack-of-all-Trades. Shakespeare's quote is often misrepresented and distorted as an incomplete version.
Here's the true quote:
"Jack of all trades,
Master of none,
Often better
Than a master of one."
–William Shakespeare
From extensive studies in my undergraduate program in ecology, I can confirm and back the following insight with data: generalists within their niches are more likely to survive than specialists. It is not the strongest, fastest, or smartest that survives—it's the most adaptable and resilient.
Naturally, a "jack" will be able to adapt better in most situations. When situations truly demand a specialist, I'll recommend one.
For me, progress is less about specialization and more about building and improving solid systems alongside sound strategies that adapt to life's curve balls.
I know it's hard to believe. I would be skeptical too.
That's why ForrestXYZ exists.
As a nod to Shakespeare, I'd amended his quote for more modern times:
"Jack of all trades,
Master of a few,
I'm capable of more,
And so are you."
Do You Aim To Be The Master of Everything?
Not necessarily—I only aim to deliver world-class results in crafts that truly pique my interest.
It's a beautiful goal with no end. The most remarkable people always find something new to improve. The purpose of the ForrestXYZ is to provide systems and strategies that improve and adapt across all domains.
The ForrestXYZ achieves two purposes: deep mastery in my primary domains and functional mastery in everything else. Another way to phrase functional mastery: know enough to be dangerous.
Are There Skills That You Haven't Showcased Yet?
Absolutely.
Thanks to The ForrestXYZ, I have grown in my skills and abilities exponentially since its inception. A recent breakthrough is learning how to play saxophone at a professional level in 18 months.
Other skills are currently in the works.
While I have spent years on this project, it's not done—it's far from done. Luckily, this means there's never a dull moment in my life. There's always new progress to be made.
But that's the beauty of it—there's always more to do. It's a reflection of working alongside reality.
With the ForrestXYZ, I'm excited to continue improving in my current crafts and building new ones alongside it. From it, I hope to inspire others to do the same.