Are you a Gun or are you a Tree? TWO approaches to anything in life

Everyone wants money, attention from the opposite sex, and power. These desires are so innate they might as well be needs. There are countless ways of getting what one wants - but all these ways fall in one of two broad approaches. Find out more👇

The Gun approach v/s the Tree approach. A gun picks one target, focusses on it intently, and attempts to hit it with great force. A tree produces a lot of seeds, casts them in different directions, and hopes some of them take root.

Examples of the Gun approach. A woman who has played tennis since she was 8 years old, a founder who's all in on his startup, a man who has chosen, in his mind, the woman he'll marry - have all adopted the Gun approach. They're intensely seeking a singular goal.

Examples of the Tree approach. While "Guns" have an all-or-nothing style, "Trees" expect most of their attempts to fail. An investor with multiple investments and a playboy talking to multiple women at once are both Trees. Trees are probability players trying to maximize odds.

Why there's no perfect middle. Both approaches work, but the middle way doesn't. If you're perfectly in the middle, you neither have the intensity of the Gun nor the diversification of the Tree. But leaning 90-10 towards the Gun approach, and vice-versa, can work.

Why switching works. Before picking 1 business idea to work on, a founder plays with many ideas in his head. Before picking 1 woman to seriously pursue, a man interacts with many. Some situations require hyper focus. Other situations require playing the odds.

The regrets of a Gun. No approach is regret proof. Guns regret picking their targets too soon, wasting time pursuing a target that didn't ultimately deliver, missing other opportunities that may have given better results.

The regrets of a Tree. Trees regret not striking the blow while the iron was hot, chide themselves for not risking it all when they had a chance, and wistfully wonder what could've happened if they'd taken a leap of faith that one time.

How to discover who you are. One way to find out whether you're a Gun or a Tree is to investigate what regrets you're okay with. Some people would rather spend all their energy, focus, and intensity on one target and be okay with missing. If that's you, you're probably a Gun.

Bottom line. Different personalities will innately tilt more towards one approach than the other. You're not born a loaded Gun or a fruit-bearing Tree, but the blueprint is there. What's all important is: Know the strengths and pitfalls of your approach, and play accordingly.