How to choose what to pursue

And why being different isn't a smart move.

Last week, I shared how golf helped me climb out of a year-long low.

But what I didn’t mention was… I almost picked archery.

If I did, I could still be in my low.

This reflection inspired me to share today:

• Why I wanted to pick up archery at first

• How my thought process helped me switch to golf

• What you can do when facing new opportunities in life

Archery seemed perfect on paper

Let’s go back about 7 months ago, when I felt mentally and physically stuck.

I was always sitting at home or in my studio, day after day. I wanted to change that, so I ended up sitting at my computer even more.

Then I woke up. I knew I needed a new hobby. Something active. Something that could pull me out there. Something that challenges me.

I went straight to archery.

I was imagining the Olympic athletes I saw on TV. They were focused, calm, and honestly, pretty badass.

Archery felt edgy, unique, and Olympic-level cool.

And yeah, I liked the idea of being the guy who picks up a bow and arrow and becomes masterful at it.

Golf? It didn’t even cross my mind.

But something was off

After the archery fantasy wore off, I gave myself a reality check.

“What do I want from this new hobby? Is it about reaching mastery? Being cool? Connecting with people?”

These questions changed everything.

Because when I looked closer, archery felt kind of … lonely.

Social & Community: Sure, it's a precision sport. It’s all about self-mastery. But even if you go with friends, you're just standing still and shooting arrows in silence. Not very social. Not very energizing.

Conversation: I then pictured this — friends see my bow at home and ask about it, then the conversation quickly dies.

Goal: I also imagined archery to have a tiny community. So instead of getting me out of my box, this hobby might get me even more boxed in.

That’s when I asked myself whether golf would be a better choice.

Turns out … golf is as much a social activity as it is a sport.

When you play for precision, you’re also socializing and deepening the bond with friends (or even strangers).

You grab lunch and drinks. You talk about the Masters and your favorite players. You talk gear. You share swing tips. You can never run out of things to say.

It’s not just a game. It’s a culture.

And with this, I knew picking up golf was a much better decision to achieve what I was looking for. So far, it hasn’t disappointed me yet.

This taught me how to evaluate opportunities

I’m incredibly glad I chose golf in the end because it has brought me energy, connection, and a new social world.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized — this wasn’t just a hobby decision. It mirrored how I approach opportunities in business too.

We all get new ideas all the time.

I’ve found myself gravitating toward edgy ones, those that make me feel different from everyone else.

Let’s take “Cool Dads Nation” as an example. Other than picking up golf, I also started a fun little project in late 2024. I wanted to reframe what modern Asian dads could be — more caring, more involved. Without a doubt, this was a meaningful mission.

But it was also super hard.

The truth was, most Asian dads don’t think about this. They are more focused on business, career, investing, or even golf ironically.

It was a niche — one that required a ton of effort and luck to succeed.

Cool Dads Nation was my archery idea — niche, meaningful, but hard to scale.

In contrast, back in 2020 when I started writing, I leaned into a much bigger wave — the start of the creator economy.

I saw so many people getting online. They all wondered about building a personal brand and showing their work. They wanted an audience. They wanted to monetize what they knew. I found my own unique twist by focusing on “building in public”.

It worked out fantastically well. I captured the behind-the-scenes here.

This wasn’t about being edgy. It was about finding a place where people were already paying attention — and then doing something different within that.

Building in Public was my golf idea — a space with momentum where I could still stand out.

What it means to you (and me)

This reflection has helped me sharpen how I approach new ideas now.

Here’s my takeaway for you:

A new idea often feels exciting, cool, and unique.

But before jumping in, you want to imagine a little and ask yourself:

• What does the world look like if this idea succeeds?

• Do I want to live in that version of the future?

• Am I overvaluing being different?

• Can I be different within something bigger?

Let me put this in golf terms just for fun:

You don’t need to invent a new sport. You just need to play one people already care about — and bring your own swing to it.

Good luck to both of us out here chasing new ideas.