FAQ
What Is The ForrestXYZ Project?
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The ForrestXYZ is my master project, which I started in 2009 when I was inspired by Thomas Edison’s extensive documentation system and learned how he produced 3,500 notebooks in his lifetime.
Since buying and filling up my first little notebook, I have exhausted hundreds of notebooks and transformed my notetaking extensively from analog to digital. Currently, I have over 50,000 pages of documented ideas across many fields in my digital ecosystem.
As I widened my interest and went deeper into everything, I realized the value of building an extensive management system for myself. This system has required years of my life to build independently, and now I'm enjoying the fruits of my labor.
The ForrestXYZ doesn't mean I can do anything and everything at any time. However, it enables me to switch gears and adapt to new seasons that need new approaches, ideas, and methods to accomplish those goals.
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Ultimately, everything in my life falls under 1 of 12 categories:
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Organization
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Physical
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Mental
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Spiritual
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Chronological
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Financial
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Material
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Knowledge
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Skillset
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Creative
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Social
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Business
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Naturally, these divisions have further branches, which shift periodically. However, these 12 categories have been staples to my continuous improvement endeavors.
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Do You Believe If You Focused All Your Energy On One Specific Discipline or Skillset That You Would Be Regarded The Best In It?​
Absolutely not.
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We are all built differently. Some of us are built to excel in one field, while others cast their nets wide to deliver in multiple. I am in the latter category.
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That type of thinking stems from an idealistic belief that following a straight line is the only way to progress and beat the competition. It's heavily emphasized in school systems and businesses because it's easy to adopt and maintain a sense of certainty.
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In reality, progress is nonlinear, and the calculus of improvement is never constant. The most unpredictable breakthroughs and revelations drive innovation forward. Here are a few examples:
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Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin because he unintentionally left a window open overnight during a bacterial experiment.
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The Wright Brothers were hobbyists who achieved aviation at a time that leading scientists concluded was unachievable for countless generations.
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Percy Spencer transformed microwaves from communications devices to appliances in every kitchen worldwide—all because a chocolate bar melted without reason!
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The list goes on.
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My goal is not to be the best––it is simply to be effective and deliver. Being the best is arbitrary because what may be the holy grail for one person might be a dime-a-dozen Solo Cup for another. Additionally, being the best never guarantees results, as life is poly-dimensional.
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However, I strongly advocate continuously learning from the best and regularly incorporating their methods into your skill sets and character. This leads to continuous improvement and adapting to new personal and business circumstances.
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Moreover, people held in the highest esteem for their accomplishments had other skills and interests. Here are a few examples:
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Albert Einstein was a physicist who played the violin.
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Barack Obama is an influential politician who loves performing stand-up comedy.
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Carla Harris is a Wall Street banker and opera singer.
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Condoleezza Rice is also a concert pianist.
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Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance Man, in general.
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Many people around us have hidden talents we don't see because ––unfortunately–– they are afraid to share them, or we are blind to them due to our one-track minds that crave simple answers.
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Do You Get Passed Up For Opportunities Because You're Perceived As A Jack of All Trades?
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I'm sure I have, but it's not important to me to cry over losing a few grains of rice when compared to the rest of the rice farm.
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For me, it's easier to provide an essential service, then pivot and deliver an unforgettable package of services to save them the headache of hunting for someone else they can trust and qualify.​
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Usually, this question is asked due to society's ingrained belief in a common misnomer. Did you know that the Jack of All Trades quote is usually misrepresented?​ Here's the true quote:​
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"Jack of all trades, master of none, often better than a master of one." –Shakespeare​​​​
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As someone with a Bachelor's Degree in environmental science and ecology, I can confirm that those who generalize in their niches have a higher probability of surviving than specialists. It is not the strongest, fastest, or smartest that survives––it's the most adaptable and resilient.
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Naturally, a "jack" will be able to adapt better in most situations.
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If I cannot figure it out, I'll admit it and recommend someone else who can if it's urgent or a real specialist is rightfully needed. However, many parts of my portfolio were built from trying out new things I hadn't done until then.
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I know that it's hard to believe someone when they say they can do multiple things, which is why the ForrestXYZ exists – to see proofs and test me on them.​​
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Do You Aim To Be The Master of Everything?
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Not necessarily; I only aim to deliver world-class results in fields that truly pique my interest.
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It's a beautiful goal with no end. After all, the most remarkable people in their fields always strive to improve, so I must do the same to the nth degree.
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Thanks to extensive experience, I master new skill sets quickly, which allows me to piece the puzzle faster using patterns from multiple fields.
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Are There Skills That You Haven't Showcased Yet?
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Yes. Even though I've spent years on this project, there's always more work to do.
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Luckily, this means I never have a dull moment in my life, so I'm always working on something new.