65. Solve the Most Important Problem You Can Impact

Attention determines which problems become visible, so careers often deepen by accident into whatever environment first captured us. Yet many problems can become engaging once explored. If enjoyment is available in several domains, it is worth choosing one whose solution produces a meaningful improvement according to a moral code you have examined.

Write what “better” means to you, then look for important problems where your skills, access, and effort can change the outcome. Avoid both trivial convenience and paralysing grandiosity: climate change may be too broad, while a better battery or protected forest can be important and tractable.

Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.