Avoid the Diversification Trap—Go Deep, Not Broad, to Achieve Mastery

It’s tempting—when you hit a wall at work, in a hobby, or during your studies, it almost feels productive to pick up something new. There’s a burst of excitement each time you join another club or download a new app to 'get organized.' But after a while, your calendar fills, and you notice you’re not actually making meaningful progress. You can play ten songs badly on guitar but have never practiced long enough to master one.

Behavioral economists call this the diversification bias: our brains prefer the variety of new beginnings over the slow grind of mastery. But the market, and personal satisfaction, reward depth far more than breadth. The analogy of the woodpecker—pecking twenty thousand times at the same tree to get a meal, instead of one tap on each of a thousand trees—isn’t just about motivation. It’s about results.

Research on learning and performance confirms this. People who succeed are those who learn to endure boredom or frustration and stay immersed until their skills compound. In business, brands that obsessively refine one offer often eclipse 'jack of all trades' companies.

If you feel scattered, use the 'pecking map' to visualize your real investment of effort. Most critically—resist the urge to run every time it gets hard. The real payoffs are always on the other side of sustained focus.

When you feel the itch to chase something new, pause and check whether you’re just dodging a hard but promising practice or project. Map out your commitments—see if your energy is splintered across too many things. Then, make a choice: for the next quarter, double down on one area that excites you, even if it’s not the easiest. Let go of some side projects with kindness, and keep digging on a single path until you land that real result. Try tracking your time and progress for these 90 days and see how your expertise and confidence change. The difference is clearer than you’d think.