A “depth year” is a year where you focus on enjoying what you already have, rather what’s new, novel, or happens to be a desire right now.
A depth year is a way of finally reading all those books already on your shelf. In my case, it’s also a way of revisiting favorite games, or finally playing the stuff I bought years ago, but never started.
Perhaps most importantly, a depth year lets you finding your way back to hobbies you’ve put down. It can help you get past the superficial dopamine hit of “new”, and digging for the deeper satisfaction had on the pursuit of mastery.
I’ve decided 2020 will be a year I experiment with a depth year, and here’s the rules I’m setting forth, posted here to keep myself accountable:
- No new books. I’ve got a ton of stuff already on my shelves that I’ve been meaning to re-read, or I’ve never read before.
- No new games. Similarly to books, there’s so much already in my library. Games I’ve wanted to revisit. And a massive backlog of unplayed games. It’s time I started making a dent.
- No new hobbies – focus on what I already have on my plate: homebrewing and woodworking.
Given the phrasing of the rules above, you might consider this a year of “No”. But I don’t see it that way. If anything, setting constraints like this are liberating, as t hey give me clear guidance on exactly where to focus.