{"id":12261,"date":"2020-08-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/?p=12261"},"modified":"2020-07-28T09:17:07","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T17:17:07","slug":"spare-capacity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scotthyoung.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/03\/spare-capacity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Spare Capacity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The height of a tree depends on not just the seed, but the size of the pot you plant it in. Without space to grow, you\u2019ll only end up with a shrub.<\/p>\n

Similarly, the amount of progress you\u2019re able to make depends on your spare capacity. Without time and energy to invest in growth, your life will stay as it is.<\/p>\n

Spare capacity is a surprisingly neglected topic. It\u2019s quite obvious\u2014the more you can throw yourself into pursuits the further they\u2019ll go. Yet, it\u2019s rare to see people talk about cultivating it directly. You see articles about how to do something in only six minutes a day, rather than expanding your capacity so you have more than six minutes to do it.<\/p>\n

\n
\"The<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Part of the reason spare capacity is underdiscussed is that much of it may be out of your control. A single parent working two jobs to pay rent can\u2019t suddenly free up dozens of hours for random projects.<\/p>\n

But some of the lack of space is self-imposed. A low-grade busyness permeates much of modern life, even for people whose material situation doesn\u2019t demand it. Thus, I think it makes sense to think about spare capacity, even if we can\u2019t perfectly control it.<\/p>\n

Measuring Spare Capacity<\/h2>\n

Part of the problem is simply defining what it means to have spare capacity. We\u2019re never literally idle\u2014unless we\u2019re unconscious we\u2019re always doing something. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, so defining capacity in terms of free time is misleading.<\/p>\n

A better test of spare capacity would be something like the following: <\/p>\n

\n

Suppose you had an idea for a project that was deeply meaningful to you, but wouldn\u2019t immediately pay you or reduce your other obligations. How much time and effort could you invest?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When I was 23, having just graduated from university, the answer was pretty much full-time. Thus I was able to take on projects like the MIT Challenge<\/a> which absorbed me full-time for an entire year.<\/p>\n

Today, my capacity is sharply reduced. I still have a lot of flexibility, but with a business and baby, yearlong side quests are out of the question.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A wrinkle in this formulation is that it makes it hard to see the difference between having low spare capacity versus simply having better things to do. A doctor who complains about not having time for her art may simply recognize that her career is more important than her hobby.<\/p>\n

To make the test fair, the opportunity we’re speculating about to test your capacity would have to be worth more to you than your current options. Someone who can’t go back to medical school because she couldn’t afford to quit her current job has a capacity constraint.<\/p>\n

Success and Spaciousness<\/h2>\n

Space tends to be inversely correlated with success. The higher up you go in your career, the more obligations and expectations. Buy a house and suddenly you have weekend maintenance projects you never faced while renting. A business that generates a hundred dollars a month demands less of you than one that generates a hundred thousand.<\/p>\n

Given that the things we want in life tend to fill up our spare capacity, it\u2019s misleading to say capacity itself is always the goal. Rather, there\u2019s a trade-off\u2014do the perks of success make up for the lost capacity?<\/p>\n

In some cases, the answer is a clear yes. I wouldn\u2019t dream of giving up the life I have now, just because certain projects I did in my twenties are no longer possible.<\/p>\n

But in many cases the trade-off is more dubious. The old joke about owning a boat sums it up nicely: \u201cThe two best days in a boat owner\u2019s life are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells the boat.\u201d With great ownership comes great hassle, and a loss of spare capacity.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Cultivating Capacity<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a mistake to think of spare capacity as simply the lack of things on your calendar. Since we\u2019re never literally doing nothing, capacity is seen more in your attitude than in your schedule.<\/p>\n

Paradoxically, the busiest people can have the most capacity if they have the ability to put things aside when something important comes up. In contrast, if you aren\u2019t able to give up Netflix for even a month to pursue something that matters to you, your capacity is limited\u2014even if outsiders wouldn\u2019t deem your life hectic.<\/p>\n

I can think of a few factors that determine your spare capacity:<\/p>\n