Curveball: Will blockchain even matter in 10 years? I am completely consumed by the opportunities blockchain presents. I also can't help but wonder if blockchain is only the beginning. There’s a common crypto comparison: "XXX is like MySpace, while YYY is Facebook". Using that same (unfounded) logic, what if blockchain is "Dial Up Internet” and something like DAG is "High Speed Internet”? What will "Wireless Internet” look like? 

Earlier this week, I came across an article arguing that blockchain would be obsolete in ten years. Despite my love for everything blockchain, it is always important to look at the other side of the coin. Playing devil’s advocate can be a very healthy practice. What if I, along with many others, have it wrong? What if blockchain isn’t actually the end game...it is just the door cracking open?

When investing in crypto, the goal is always up, to the right...and to the moon. Unfortunately, as we have seen recently, the charts can take an unexpected downturn. We all HODL because we believe in the tech. There is conviction behind the belief that it will bounce back up to new highs. However, as an investor, you should always have a game plan ready if things don’t head your preferred direction. 

The same logic can be applied to our lives. I truly believe my pursuit of everything blockchain is taking me up and to the right...but what is the plan if the chart takes an unexpected turn for the worse? Regardless of whether it is up or down, that chart is going to keep moving to the right. Might as well be prepared for either outcome. 

How can I continue moving forward if blockchain does end up similar to “dial up internet”? Coding tutorials should remain a valuable tool, both short and long term. Regardless of how the decentralization revolution pans out, learning to code on a somewhat effective level will open doors that would have otherwise been locked. I do have to say, after 31 years of counting in base-ten, it is not easy learning to counting in base-two (binary). The concept is simple but damn, that is quite the adjustment. 

What skills do I currently possess that can be put to use in alternative futures? As I’ve said, I love writing. Over the last couple of years, I had been writing something that could be classified as a “science fiction novel”. I fell off of writing it for a while. “Past me” would have blamed it on the fact that my wife and I bought a house...in August. That was six months ago. I can give myself a pass for that first month or so but after that, it is on me. 

Thanks to the mind bending concepts of tech’s future, that novel recently had a strong revival. Revisiting everything I had written, I was blown away by how many loose concepts of decentralization I had already implemented. Keep in mind, I did not pursue any knowledge of this space until November of last year. Three months after I had stopped writing. 

I am not claiming to have developed blockchain or crypto in my own mind before realizing it was already a thing. My take away from this “aha! moment” was that I clearly wanted to be a part of this space, long before I knew there was such a space to be a part of. Since then, it has really started to come together. The structure, plot, details...everything feels much stronger now. This simple moment of clarity gave me a small confirmation that I am heading the right direction. 

With that moment comes a new opportunity to break a bad habit of mine: starting something without truly finishing it. What good is anything without follow through? What good is a novel that is ½ way written? I am constantly thinking about writing but the hardest part is sitting down and actually focusing. This blog has certainly been helpful, in that sense. 

Focus only comes when I’ve eliminated all distractions from my day. There are things we do regularly: dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. When several “need” to be done at the same time, it can be overwhelming. It is easy for me to say, “I don’t have time to write because I have to do X,Y, and Z”. Lately, I’ve tried to take a moment to put it all in perspective. In the grand scheme of things, those are just minor details...not even hurdles that are in my way. 

I’ve put strong effort in to forming the habit of knocking these simple tasks out, first thing in the morning. Every little thing that may distract me from my goals of the day, I immediately eliminate. The ability to recognize our own shortcomings, weaknesses, and poor habits is a skill that we don’t take advantage of enough. 

In the last #aforkingupdate, I discussed meeting John via the Bad Crypto Podcast Mastermind group on Facebook. I’m coming to realize just how much this guy loves digging for answers and deeper understanding. After mentioning that the next #myforkingeducation piece would be on (spoiler alert!) decentralization, John threw out the idea of setting up a debate where he would take the side of centralization. He even invited me to come on his podcast to hash it out!

Internally, my brain immediately shouted “no thanks!”. Very few things are more outside of my comfort zone than the idea of verbally debating a stranger, on their turf, in a setting that will be recorded and broadcasted. 

Writing comes easily for me. I don’t have a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that the reader has lost interest. Face to face interactions are a different story. It’s not even the serious, work related conversations. It is the casual small talk with strangers that gets me. From time to time, that nagging voice creeps in while I’m telling a story or anecdote. Convinced that the other person has lost interest, anxiety sets in. I’ll later reflect on that interaction and kick myself because there was absolutely no reason to feel any kind of anxiety. 

So, my immediate reaction to John was “Thanks, but no thanks”. While formulating an excuse as to why I couldn’t make it happen, I began to see just how typical this behavior was of myself. Rather than push myself to step out of my comfort zone, I tend to look for excuses to remain in my bubble. At this point, the only thing worse than having this bad habit would be to ignore the realization that it exists. Habits are hard to break, there is no doubting that. However, if you recognize detrimental behavior and aren’t even trying to counteract it, that is on you...not the difficulty of breaking the habit. 

Finally, after suppressing the inclination to say no, I agreed. Could I really claim to be making life changes if I am unwilling to change the way I live? I don’t necessarily need my weaknesses to become strengths but it sure would be beneficial if I limited the amount of weaknesses that I have. A couple of my flaws: social anxiety and refusal to step outside of my comfort zone, are self inflicted. This made me think of a quote from Jason Mraz, “Don’t ever let your mind stop you from having a good time”.

I’m not so sure that the quote is applicable to all situations but it certainly applies here. There is no reason to let my mind stop me from discussing a topic like decentralization, a topic I care about, with someone that is trying to help solidify my argument. Where is the harm there? What is the worst thing that could happen? 

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read. Give me some feedback by commenting below. You took the time to read, now let me know what you thought!

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Don't forget to check out the rest of The Hard Fork's blog entries that cover:

• My Forking Education:
  • Showcasing the things I’ve learned that are inspiring me to stay on my path
  • Quick Breakdowns/Easy Reads
  • Written so those with no prior knowledge of a given topic can comprehend and learn
• Forking Updates:
  • Describing the roadblocks, obstacles, and breakthroughs I’ve encountered
• Forking Inspirations:
  • Profiling examples of others that provide great learning experiences
    • Other Steemians
    • Celebrities
    • Obscure entities, great examples

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