. . . do the thing that you would like to do for about ten years and you'll be fine.

“A few years ago, I did a talk at a University. I can’t remember which one . . . Oh, yeah, Yale. And one student asked me ‘What was your backup plan?’ And I said: ‘A backup plan is the first step towards failure!’ . . . ‘So, . . . Don’t have a backup plan just do the thing that you would like to do for about ten years and you’ll be fine. It’s true. Whatever your interest, no matter how weird or unattainable or far off it seems – it’s not. It’s completely possible and even likely if you just consistently work at it.”

. . . Eugene Mirman . . . Commencement Speech at Hampshire College . . . 20 May 2012 . . .