The wit and the grinder

Wit - looks for the smartest, simplest way to achieve something. Manifests as the investor, the A-student who sleeps in class. Good at spotting opportunities and leaping on them. People like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs.

Grinder - loves it when he sees a clear path to success where he just has to outwork everyone else. Manifests as the mugger in school, the operator. Good at execution. People like David Goggins, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elon Musk.

One thing I noticed while listing the names of famous people who embody those qualities is that at the highest levels, you are able to tap on both sides. But there is always 1 that we are most comfortable with, our dominant hand if you will.

I have experienced both selves, but my dominant style is the grinder. That's why I had the reputation as the mugger in school, and loves endurance sports like triathlons. \Whenever I see a clear path to success where the only differentiator is long, hard and painful work, I light up. This very strength has handicapped me in areas which required deftness, agility and flexibility like opportunistically taking advantage of market trends, fund raising or even relationships. What has helped me is reframing these endeavours as upfront and then periodic strategising that requires wit, and then otherwise consistent grinding of the same motions.