We live in the greatest period of human history.
Sure some people like to complain about things, but if you look at it objectively, right now is the best period of human history, ever.
It’s not even close.
What’s the biggest reason for all of this?
The internet.
All of the knowledge of humanity is quite literally at your fingertips.
You just need to know what to search for.
While listening to the Ultraworking podcast the other day, I heard an interesting concept about computer programming.
They mentioned that there are basically 3 types of computer programming.
- The IKEA version
- The Home Depot version
- The Iron Mine version
The IKEA version is the “cookie-cutter” model. It’s when you’re trying to do something that has been done so many times before that people have perfected it and created products that do it for you.
Examples include: WordPress for blogging & Shopify for online stores.
When you’re doing the IKEA version you don’t need to spend any time figuring out how to create the thing you want to create—since someone else has already perfected it—you just follow their instructions and boom, you’re good to go.
(Like assembling a desk you bought from IKEA.)
The Home Depot version is a bit more complicated than the IKEA version, but it’s not too bad.
This is when you have plans/guides on how to do things, but instead of being given a desk that’s all prepared and just needs you to fit it together like in the IKEA version, you need to do that yourself.
You need to take the raw materials and the guides that you’ve been given an effectively build your own desk while using those materials and following those steps.
It’s more difficult and time intensive, but it also gives you greater control on how the end-product is going to be.
(Most computer programing falls into this category.)
The Iron Mine version is the final type of creating. This is the hardest, most complicated, and most time intensive type of computer programing.
Think of it like this…
You need to build a desk, but nobody has ever built a desk before. So you think about what it would look like and what materials you would need.
Realizing you need iron to make the metal legs of the desk, you go to an iron mine and go mine some iron ore. Then you take that iron ore and melt it down into iron bars. Then you cut those iron bars and turn them into legs for your desk.
Now you need a top for your desk, and you figure it should be made out of wood. So you go into the forest and you cut down a tree. Then you cut the wood into planks and use those to make your desk top.
And so on and so forth.
The iron mine version is when you’re forging new paths and you need to do everything yourself. This is where real works of art come about and things that change the world.
But it’s also the hardest, most time intensive, and has a very high rate of failure.
While I was thinking about these 3 different types of computer programming I realized something.
This doesn’t just apply to computer programming…
This applies to EVERYTHING in life.
If you want to learn something new or do something new—thanks to the internet—there are typically 3 routes you can go:
- The IKEA version: Use the materials, tools, and plans someone else laid out for you step by step.
- The Home Depot version: Follow the guidelines of what has worked in the past, but use your own tools, materials, and plan.
- The Iron Mine version: Build something completely new & unique that the world has never seen before and do everything yourself.
If you’re a complete newbie at whatever the skill or thing is that you want to do, then following the IKEA version is the best way to go.
If you’re experienced at whatever the skill or thing is that you are doing, then following the Home Depot version is the best way to go.
If you’re an expert at whatever the skill or thing is that you are doing, then following the Iron Mine version is the best way to go.
The issue that I see many people run into is that they are trying to do something above their experience level.
For example…
If you’re new to the gym, lifting weights, building muscle, losing fat, etc., then you should be following the IKEA method.
Find a trainer you like, buy their workout plan + diet plan, take the supplements they suggest, and FOLLOW IT TO A T.
If you buy a desk from IKEA you’re not gonna say, “Well I think this desk leg should actually go on top of the desk!”
The same applies to online fitness programs.
- Don’t change it.
- Don’t modify it.
- Don’t question it.
- Just follow it.
THEN, after a solid year or two of training, once you have some experience under your belt, you can create your own diet/workout plan that is perfectly tailored to YOU.
Since you know what you’re doing now, you take the best practices, and incorporate that into something unique for you.
You follow the Home Depot method to create your own diet/workout plan and build an amazing body for yourself. After doing this, you’ll probably start getting tons of comments from other people who keep asking you how you did it and how they can be more like you…
THEN, after you’ve put in the work, you know what you’re doing, and other people are interested in it, you can go the Iron Mine method and figure out how to create your own fitness plans to sell or give to other people.
Today we have more IKEA’s, more Home Depot’s, and more Iron Mines than you can shake a stick at.
The issue isn’t that the information is not out there.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHOICE.
Then, YOU NEED TO ACT.
Recently I bought a course on web design.
(Shout out to José Rosa for creating a kick-ass course.)
It’s an IKEA level course that literally teaches you how to build a website piece by piece on WordPress.
Now, I’ve been using WordPress for a few years and I consider myself a “Home Depot” level guy for the most part.
But you know what?
If I had tried to do everything in that course the Home Depot way it would have taken me WEEKS!
Instead I bought an amazing course and now I’m building great looking websites a mere 3 days later.
(Even if you’re an expert at something, you can still use the IKEA version to streamline the process because why bother putting in all of the extra time and energy to create something new when someone else has already perfected it?)
Like I said before, one of the biggest problems I see now-a-days is people trying to go to the Iron Mines when they really should be going to IKEA.
At the end of the day, HOW you do something doesn’t really matter.
If you built a blog, built a body, or built a business following the IKEA method—that is not something to be ashamed about.
The only thing that matters is that you DID SOMETHING.
The guy who takes 1 week to build an online store with Shopify and starts selling stuff immediately is 1,000,000% better than the guy who takes 1 year to code his own website from scratch and never ends up selling anything.
Whichever method of creating you choose, at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is that you take ACTION and put that thing out into the world.
You choose to believe in yourself and in doing so, you take action.
That alone will set you apart from the masses and help you live your best life.