Everyone loves the big idea. The bold plan. A strong vision of what can be.
It’s easy to get excited about an amazing result. A finished project, a better version of ourselves, a breakthrough moment. But big plans mean nothing without the tools and materials to carry them out.
Goals and aspirations get a lot of attention. Preparation, usually not so much.
Preparation isn’t glamorous. No one sees the early mornings, the quiet practice, the reading, the repetitions, the small decisions and adjustments that come from thinking deeply about how to be better. But that’s where everything starts. That’s the real work.
You can’t build a tower by imagining the top floor. You start by stacking bricks. And before that, you must gather the bricks. Along with mortar. Along with the tools to lift, cut, measure, and shape. That’s what preparation is. Gathering what you’ll need to be ready when it’s time to build.
This applies to everything in life.
Want to be a better leader? Prepare by learning how to listen, how to stay calm and think under pressure, how to help your team to be their very best.
Want to level up at work? Prepare by always sharpening your skills, staying curious, looking for problems that need solutions, becoming someone your team can rely on.
Want to be a better friend, spouse, or parent? Prepare by learning to listen, to be present, and to lead with patience and love.
Want to face hard times with strength? Prepare by choosing the hard things before they choose you.
Don’t wait for life to demand something from you before you get ready. Always prepare so you willbe ready.
Ask yourself: -What materials am I gathering?
-What tools am I building?
-What productive habits am I forming when no one’s looking?
Preparation isn’t just a phase. It’s a mindset. A lifestyle.
You’re either gathering bricks—or you’re preparing to fail.
Because in the end, you won’t rise to the level of your ambition.
You’ll fall to the level of your preparation.
h/t – my friend Pete Hilger as we were discussing how to get building supplies to a rural Guatemalan city for a medical facility build project. He tossed out the line, “You can’t build a tower without first gathering a lot of bricks and mortar.”
The blinking cursor on a blank document. The empty stretch of land where you’ll soon be building a shop. The new web application your company wants to develop that will revolutionize your industry. These are just a few examples of standing on the edge of something new, something important, yet feeling completely unsure of where to begin.
You might have a vision of the final result—the finished document, the completed shop, the fully functioning app. But that doesn’t mean you know how to get there.
It’s easy to get lost in the variables and the endless possibilities. What if I make the wrong decision? Are there more resources out there? What do other people think? Should I read more articles? Watch more videos? Seek more advice? What if I mess it all up?
In every case, the hardest part is starting.
It’s taking that first step. Writing the first sentence. Sketching out the first screen of an app. Nailing the first stakes into the ground—the ones you’ll attach a string to, so you can visualize where your new shop will go.
It’s a commitment to action over hesitation. A moment of bravery that marks the beginning of making something real.
An amazing thing happens when you start. Your mind shifts from a place of endless “what-ifs” to a place of positive motion. You begin to focus on the next steps and real solutions. All the challenges you imagined before starting—that, in many cases, won’t even come to pass—are forgotten. The path ahead becomes clearer, and each small step forward makes your next decision easier.
Does this mean everything goes perfectly after you start? Of course not. You’ll make mistakes, adjust, learn, and pivot along the way.
But here’s where starting becomes crucial: it provides a tangible foundation. It gives you something to measure against, something to refine, something to edit. You might completely change your initial idea, but you wouldn’t have discovered the need to change if you hadn’t started.
Starting is hard, but it’s also the most important part.
Take the first step, even if it feels uncomfortable. You’ll learn more from those first few steps than you will from standing still…wondering what might happen.
Once you start, momentum kicks in. And from there, the possibilities are endless.
“Garbage In, Garbage Out” doesn’t just apply to computers—it applies to your life. The people you spend time with, the content you consume, and the habits you build shape your future. Want better results? Choose better inputs.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
“You are what you repeatedly do.” – Aristotle
“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” – John Kuebler
“Your life is controlled by what you focus on.” – Tony Robbins
The old phrase, “garbage in, garbage out” doesn’t only apply to computers and databases. It applies to how we live our lives.
Our inputs—the people we surround ourselves with, the information we consume, and the habits we cultivate—shape our outcomes.
If you spend time with amazing, imaginative, productive, and adventurous people, chances are you’ll start adopting some of those same qualities. At a minimum, you’ll develop personal goals that push you to emulate those qualities in your own way.
On the other hand, if you surround yourself with negative, self-destructive, bitter, or complacent people, their mindset and behaviors will slowly seep into your own life. Even if you think you’re immune, habits and attitudes are contagious.
Small Choices Compound Over Time
Consider this simple example.
If you exercise at least three days per week, you’ll see progress. Do it five days per week, and your results will be even better.
But if you instead have the habit of drinking a large chocolate shake for lunch every day, the impact won’t be immediate, but with time you’ll notice a negative shift in your health and energy levels.
Neither of these changes happen overnight. But over months and years, they define who you become.
Our small choices create big results.
The Status Quo Trap—It’s Hard to Change
It’s obvious that if you run toward a cliff, ignoring all the warning signs, you’re in for a big fall. But in real life, it’s rarely that clear.
Like the boiling frog who doesn’t realize the water is heating up until it’s too late, many people stay in toxic environments, bad habits, or unproductive routines because the declining results are slow and gradual. It doesn’t feel urgent—until suddenly, it is.
Our Inputs Dictate Our Outputs—So Choose Wisely
Our mind works like an algorithm. What we feed it shapes what it returns to us.
If we constantly consume negative news, gossip, or toxic social media, our mindset will reflect it.
If we surround ourselves with people who challenge us to grow, read books that inspire us, and engage in meaningful conversations, our perspective will shift toward productivity and fulfillment.
The good news? We choose. And by making intentional choices, we set the trajectory for our future.
Challenge: Take an Inventory of Your Inputs
For the next week, pay attention to what’s influencing you. Your environment, the content you consume, and the habits you engage in.
Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Are they making you better?
What are you reading, watching, and listening to? Is it fueling growth or draining your potential?
What small habit could you start today that would improve your future?
The inputs you choose today will shape who you become tomorrow, next year, and a decade from now.
Thought leaders play a critical role in any organization. Sometimes, they have titles like CEO, COO, CIO, etc. Other times, the real thought leaders are deep within the organization—formally or informally influencing the speed and direction of progress. Often, it’s a mix of both (most ideal, in my opinion).
It doesn’t take long working with people (in business or everyday life) to recognize some common personality types. See if any of these sound familiar:
The Opportunist – “What’s in it for me?”
The Rule Follower – “What will our boss think?”
The Naysayer – “Let me tell you all the ways this won’t work.”
The Over-Analyzer – “Shouldn’t we think about this more?”
The Idea Generator – ”What about this new approach to the problem?”
The Go-Getter – “Why are we sitting here doing nothing… let’s move!”
The Rebel – “Who cares what the boss thinks?”
The Doer – “We’ve got all we need, so let’s start.”
The Supporter – “How can I help you with your goals?”
The Invisible Worker – “I don’t want to get noticed.”
The Minimalist – “How can I get by doing the least amount of work?”
The Escape Artist – “If this goes wrong, I wasn’t here.”
Which one is best?
That depends on the situation.
I tend to gravitate toward those who accept responsibility, take risks, and aggressively seek solutions. I like working with people who act first, ask for forgiveness later, and push organizations toward innovation and progress.
But even the most action-driven person benefits from a counterbalance. Someone who asks the tough questions, who sees the risks, who insists on analyzing every angle. Their input can temper an ambitious plan, provide a broader perspective, and uncover blind spots the team might otherwise miss.
Too many cautious over-analyzers, and an organization stalls. But completely ignoring their input? That’s a recipe for reckless decision making.
Look around your organization, your circle of friends, and the people you admire. How many of them fit into one or more of these categories? More importantly, which one(s) fits you?
And if you’re building a team for your next big project, who do you want on that team? Who will give your project the highest chance of success?
The key to a successful team isn’t about having just one type of person. It’s about striking the right balance. Recognizing that the strengths and weaknesses of each personality type will allow you to build a team that works effectively together, balancing momentum with careful consideration.
The best teams blend different perspectives and working styles to make smarter decisions and drive lasting progress.
Choose wisely, because the right mix can be the difference between failure and success.
Zig Ziglar once said, “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”
This perfectly describes the driver of true achievement. It’s not just the initial desire or excitement that propel us, but the dedication to stick with something until the end.
I accidentally saw this idea come to life during a recent road trip. I stopped by a taco shop. It happened to be near a beach and was clearly a popular local destination. The tacos were excellent, but that’s not the point of this story.
As I sat on the patio eating my carnitas tacos and enjoying the view, I couldn’t help overhearing a conversation at the table that less than two feet away. Two early-twenties (by my estimation) men were talking about how amazing the surfing had been earlier that morning.
I got from the conversation that they had been surfing together since they were teenagers and this morning’s session was a long-overdue reunion of sorts since they hadn’t surfed together in quite some time.
One of them made a comment that stuck with me: “Surfing is the only time I’m really alive. I know what I’m doing and can feel the water telling me what to do. I wish I could get that kind of fulfillment out of the rest of my life. I feel like I’m just wandering around, waiting until I can surf again.”
It wasn’t long before his friend responded, “I know what you mean. I’ve had to settle down these past couple of years. I got a dog, and it’s been a lot of responsibility, but he’s amazing. He loves the beach, so I take him there as often as I can.”
Then came the real kicker. The first guy, the “wandering” one, responded, “Maybe that’s something I should do. I can’t get motivated at work and just want to quit. Maybe getting a dog would help me commit to the work.”
He used an extremely important word—commit. It was evident these two men are deeply committed to surfing. It’s their passion, and it gives them a sense of fulfillment that’s absent in other areas of their lives. Surfing isn’t something they merely do—it is something they live for. But beyond surfing, they lack the same kind of dedication. Their passion for the sport brings them joy because they are fully invested in it, heart and soul.
The wandering friend’s dilemma isn’t uncommon. Many people struggle with finding motivation in their daily lives. They haven’t truly committed to something that extends beyond their comfort zone or personal hobbies. They desire fulfillment without realizing that commitment is often their missing link.
It was as though this young man had stumbled upon the key to unlocking motivation and purpose: he needed to commit. Whether it is work, relationships, or another area of his life, the power to find meaning and fulfillment can only come from his willingness to fully invest in something.
Goethe once said, “At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you.” This idea aligns with the realization that real fulfillment only comes from investing fully in what we do. When we are all in, we aren’t just going through the motions—we are owning the process, taking charge of the outcome, and continually working toward our goals.
The wandering surfer may never have thought about his job as something worth committing to. To him, it was just a means to an end, something he had to do so he could afford to spend time doing what he really wanted—to surf. But if he can shift his mindset and fully invest in his work with the same passion and dedication he gives to surfing, the fulfillment he seeks might not seem so elusive.
Fulfillment doesn’t come from merely reaching a goal or winning a trophy. As Cardinal Pell put it, “Commitment to a worthwhile goal brings fulfillment and meaning, even if the path is difficult.” The true joy and deep sense of satisfaction come from the commitment itself—the effort, discipline, and perseverance that drive us toward our goal.
If you’re handed a trophy without having worked for it, it’s meaningless. You know deep down that you didn’t earn it, didn’t push through the challenges, didn’t grow in the process. But if you earn that trophy through your own hard work and dedication, it’s a symbol of something far greater than the achievement—it’s proof of your commitment.
In the end, what we commit to is what brings meaning to our lives. Whether it’s our relationships, our careers, or even something as personal as surfing, the act of giving our all, of pushing through the hard times, is what fills us with a sense of purpose.
The wandering surfer wasn’t lost because he lacked passion; he was lost because he hadn’t fully committed to anything beyond the waves.
To truly live a fulfilling life, we must commit wholeheartedly. When we do, we’ll find that the truest sense of fulfillment comes from the dedication and growth that only commitment can bring.
In the early 2000s, I attended one of our company’s national meetings. Our new CEO opened the meeting with a keynote address.
After thanking everyone for attending, he discussed the company’s three key strategic initiatives. He tied each of them back to the overall goals and mission of the company, underscoring how critical each manager attending the meeting (and our teams) would be to making these initiatives come to fruition.
His address lasted about fifteen minutes. He had a few slides to accompany his talk, but nothing flashy. In those fifteen minutes, we understood his vision, what we were supposed to do, and how we were empowered to make it happen. We were unified and energized.
Later that day, I thanked him for his talk. I mentioned how concise it was and appreciated that he didn’t spend an hour on CEO-speak and rah-rah platitudes. He smiled and explained that he was concise because he articulates versions of that talk multiple times each day.
He shared that wherever he traveled, whenever he visited one of our company’s offices or met with employees or customers, he made sure they understood what we were doing and how important each of them was to the company’s success. He knew that in a company with over 15,000 employees, it was impossible to speak to or know every one of them. But, whenever he encountered employees, he knew they’d remember what he said and appreciate knowing how they are connected to the company’s success.
He was so concise and effective because he lived and breathed the vision and its importance every day and shared it freely with everyone.
Applying This in Your Leadership
You don’t have to be a Fortune 100 CEO to communicate like this. As a servant leader, commit to using your finite time and energy to communicate openly and freely with your team members. Make sure they understand the plan and their part in it. Take time to understand the challenges they face, listen to their ideas, ask probing questions, and let them know how important they are to the success of the department, division, or company.
Your team can’t wait to accompany you on a vision quest. They just need to know what they’re doing, where they’re going, and that you value their contribution to the quest.
Effective communication from leadership is not about the quantity of words but the quality of the message. By being concise, clear, and consistent, you can inspire and motivate your team to achieve great things.
Start today by articulating your vision and showing your team how much you value their contributions.
I’m working on an autobiography of sorts. It’s a compilation of my answers to a series of questions. There are about 75 of them that act as prompts. Here are some examples:
Tell me about your childhood home.
What were your school days like?
What was your favorite fashion trend when you were a kid?
How did you meet your spouse?
The idea is that my kids and grandkids and anyone else who’s interested can learn more about my life as they read through my answers to these questions. It’s been a fun project that I’ve been working on over the past 3-4 months.
I just finished answering this question and thought I’d share my answer here:
Can you share a favorite quote or saying of yours?
Life is a journey, not a destination.
I’m not sure who said this first. It’s something I said for years before learning that it was a famous quote from someone else. Turns out there are posters and artwork that you can buy that highlight this quote. Maybe I saw the quote decades ago and it lived in my subconscious mind until later in life.
I don’t have anything against goal setting or visualizing a future and going after it. But it’s important to avoid having tunnel vision in your pursuit of goal achievement since you may miss other opportunities and experiences that introduce themselves along the way.
I’m reminded of a drawing of a stickperson on a ladder. They are locked in on their goal: reaching the top of that ladder before anyone else. This person even jumps over someone and kicks another person off the ladder in their effort to reach the top first. When this person finally reaches the top, they find that the ladder doesn’t actually lead anywhere. Their ladder is standing in the air and not leaning against anything.
The lesson is to make sure the ladder you’re climbing is going somewhere you really want to go.
When you reach your goal, no matter how lofty and difficult it was to achieve, you are merely at a new starting point or more accurately, you’ve made it to one of an infinite number of stops in your life-long journey.
The real goal should be to maximize your enjoyment of the journey itself. To appreciate the small things that happen, the surprises, the diversions, the successes and the failures, the people you meet, and the places you get to experience along the way.
Life is that thing that happens while you’re busy making other plans.
This one is closely related to the first quote. Life is a series of “nows” that are happening in real-time. You can make plans, point yourself in a particular direction, and even tell yourself that you’re in control of all the things that are happening in your life (spoiler alert – you’re not in control of all the things, you only control your response to all the things).
The time to start something new or something that will improve your life is always six months ago. While you’re busy talking about your future, it’s already happening. That thing you’re thinking about doing today but procrastinating while you do more planning will become that thing you should have done six months ago.
Plans are valuable, and you should have a broad plan with some key pillars that you can stand on throughout your life. It’s equally important to avoid hiding behind the planning phases of your life and forgetting to live your life purposely. It turns out that life’s happening anyway, so you might as well live it proactively and not reactively.
These are the good times.
The shortened version of this among friends is, “Good times.” Meaning these are the good times we’ll look back on fondly when we get older. No matter how screwed up something is, or how hard the thing you’re doing right now is, or how much you just failed… all of it will be lumped into your mind and memory as “good times” from your past.
In fact, some of your worst life experiences or life failures might even become the fondest memories you share in the future. You might reflect on how great something was, or how it was good that you had that failure or that heartbreak so you could apply what you learned later in life.
It’s unfortunate that we usually don’t realize this when these things are happening to us in the present.
A little over a decade ago (time flies!), I wrote a post that introduced the concept of Goalprints. That post described a series of steps and questions that we should use to understand our unique Goalprint and determine if our lives are supporting (or not supporting) our goals.
I recently heard about the concept of an Ambition Audit… taking a step back to assess whether your ambitions are still relevant, achievable, and fulfilling. I realized that this concept complements the Goalprint exercise extremely well.
Here’s an updated post that integrates the Ambition Audit concept…plus I’ve added a handy cheat sheet that you can use for this exercise.
There’s a classic quote in business: “People who buy shovels don’t want shovels. They want to make holes or fill in holes as quickly and easily as possible.”
Chances are pretty good that you’re selling shovels to someone. Or maybe you dig the holes?
Either way, the planning, the shovel, the digging, and the hole itself are all merely steps along the way to achieving someone’s goals.
Are they achieving your goals? Maybe.
That all depends on whether you know what your goals are.
The funny thing about goals is that no one has the same goals. They may share some or agree on goals to pursue together. But no two people have the exact same goals.
Each of us has a Goalprint as unique as our fingerprint. It captures our passions, our dreams, and the specific goals we’ve laid out for our lives. Partially developed Goalprints live in our subconscious mind until we take the time to bring them into our conscious mind and fully define them.
Consciously defining our unique Goalprint isn’t easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. But once defined, how do we ensure our goals remain relevant and truly reflective of who we are?
That’s where the Ambition Audit comes in—a powerful tool to regularly reassess and realign our goals with our evolving values and life circumstances. Combining the process of creating your Goalprint with an ambition audit ensures that your aspirations remain meaningful and motivating.
Here are the seven steps for creating and living your personal Goalprint, enhanced with the principles of an ambition audit:
Step 1: Define Your Passions
List the five things you are most passionate about and describe how you plan to center your life around these passions over the next five years. Are you willing to focus your life on this list? If not, maybe these aren’t really your passions.
Ambition Audit Tip: Regularly reassess these passions. Life changes, and so can the things that drive you. Ensure your passions remain true to your current self.
Step 2: Plan Your Experiences
Define at least seven things you plan to experience over the next ten years. This isn’t just a wish list—commit to these experiences. How many involve your top passions?
Ambition Audit Tip: Review this list annually. Are these experiences still aligned with your passions and values? Adjust as needed to keep your goals relevant.
Step 3: Financial Goals
Money isn’t everything, but it does make the world go around. Write down how much money or assets you plan to set aside for major expenditures in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. What income do you need to hit these targets? Start saving now.
Ambition Audit Tip: Revisit your financial goals periodically. Ensure they support your passions and experiences. Adjust savings and investments to stay on track.
Step 4: Define Your Future Self
Describe what you plan to be in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. This can be personal, professional, or anything else. Remember, being something is different than just where you choose to work. Make sure your future self supports what you’ve listed in the first three steps.
Ambition Audit Tip: Reflect on your future self regularly. Is this vision still inspiring? Does it align with your evolving values and circumstances?
Step 5: Align with Your Spouse
If you have a spouse or partner, compare, and discuss your Goalprints. What do you have in common? How will you accommodate and support each other’s Goalprints?
Ambition Audit Tip: Periodically revisit this conversation. Life changes, and so do relationships. Ensure your Goalprints remain compatible and mutually supportive.
Step 6: Hold Yourself Accountable
Commit to fulfilling what you’ve laid out in your Goalprint as you make decisions in your life. Define success on your own terms and stay true to your goals.
Ambition Audit Tip: Set regular check-ins to review your progress. Adjust your goals and actions to stay aligned with your ambitions.
Step 7: Annual Reassessment
Repeat this exercise once a year. Your Goalprint will change and grow over time—if you have the courage to let it.
Ambition Audit Tip: This annual review is your built-in ambition audit. Reflect on the past year, reassess your goals, and realign them with your current values and circumstances.
Your unique Goalprint, coupled with regular ambition audits, will guide you toward a life of purpose and fulfillment.
How about that cheat sheet? This is something I didn’t include in my original post, but I’ve had a few people ask me if a template or form exists. So, here’s an initial template that you can use. Just copy and paste this form into your favorite word processor and use it to capture your answers. Remember, there are no wrong answers in this exercise.
Step 1: Define Your Passions List the five things you are most passionate about and how you plan to center your life around these passions over the next five years.
Passion: _______________________________ • Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are these passions still true to your current self? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 2: Plan Your Experiences Define at least seven things you plan to experience over the next ten years. Remember, these aren’t visionary fantasy goals. These are things you actually plan to do in the relative near term of the next decade (remember, decades go by quicker than we realize).
Experience: _______________________________ • Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are these experiences still aligned with your passions and values? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 3: Financial Goals Write down your financial goals for major expenditures at different stages. One Year • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Five Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Ten Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Twenty Years • Amount: _______________________________ • Income Plan: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Do these financial goals support your passions and experiences? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 4: Define Your Future Self Describe what you plan to be in one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years. One Year • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Five Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Ten Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Twenty Years • Personal: _______________________________ • Professional: _______________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Is this vision still inspiring and aligned with your values? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 5: Align with Your Spouse If applicable, compare and discuss your Goalprints with your spouse or partner. Common Goals: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Supporting Each Other’s Goalprints: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Are your Goalprints still compatible and mutually supportive? (Review annually) • Yes / No • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 6: Hold Yourself Accountable Commit to your Goalprint by reflecting on the following: Decisions Made in Alignment: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Challenges Faced: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Successes Achieved: • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ Ambition Audit Check: Set regular check-ins to review progress. Adjust goals and actions to stay aligned. • Date of Next Review: _________________________ • Adjustments: _______________________________
Step 7: Annual Reassessment Repeat the entire exercise once a year. Reflect on the past year and realign your goals with your current values and circumstances. Reflection: • What has changed over the past year?_______________________________ • How have your goals evolved? ____________________________________ • What new passions or experiences have emerged?_____________________ Ambition Audit Check: Ensure your Goalprint is dynamic and reflective of your true self. • Date of Review: _______________________ • Adjustments: _______________________________
By using this template, you can create, evaluate, and adjust your personal Goalprint, ensuring that your ambitions stay relevant, achievable, and fulfilling. Embrace your journey of introspection and realignment to lead a life of purpose and fulfillment.
In the dim glow of his studio, the sculptor stood before a vast expanse of pristine clay, lost in thought. His mind danced with visions of what he would create—a masterpiece that would captivate hearts and minds, a testament to his skill and vision. Yet, before his hands could shape the clay, there were crucial steps to take, like preparing the raw material before the artistry could begin.
As he contemplated the sculpture taking form in his mind’s eye, he pondered the perspectives he would bring to his creation. Each angle, each curve held significance, and he knew that his vision would resonate differently with each observer. He envisioned the awe in their eyes, the whispers of admiration as they saw his work.
But this sculpture would be unlike any he had attempted before—it would be monumental, stretching skyward in grandeur. The clay alone would not suffice; he would need the finest materials that could withstand the test of time. Yet, the cost of these materials weighed heavily on his mind. It was a venture that would require more than just his own resources.
Thus, he embarked on a journey to seek investors—patrons who believed in his vision and were willing to invest in its realization. With their support, he would procure the materials necessary to bring his creation to life. But it was not just financial backing he sought; he needed a team of skilled artisans who would join him on this sculpting journey.
Finding the right team was no small feat. Each member would bring their own expertise and perspective, enriching the project with their unique talents. Yet, it was not just a matter of talent—they would need to share his passion and commitment, willing to sacrifice their own pursuits to see the vision through.
And so, he set out to assemble his team, each member drawn by the promise of being part of something extraordinary. Yet, he knew that their dedication could not go unrewarded. He would provide for them, ensuring they had the means to sustain themselves as they poured their hearts and souls into the project.
With each detail meticulously planned, he secured a space large enough to accommodate the monumental sculpture, a blank canvas upon which his vision would take shape. And in his heart, he held onto the hope that there would be a patron waiting in the wings, eager to claim his creation as their own. A customer.
As he surveyed the clay before him, he saw not just a mound of earth, but the embodiment of possibility—the first step in a journey that would culminate in something truly extraordinary.
With determination burning bright in his eyes, the sculptor began to mold the clay, each touch infused with passion and purpose. He knew that before the sculpture could stand tall, it must first be brought to life in the fertile soil of his imagination.
Sound familiar?
If you launch a new idea, a new project, a new company, or a new rocket…you’re the sculptor. You alone see your vision. To see this new vision come to life, you will need to gather others, inspire them, challenge them, and ultimately organize your new team toward the goal of making your vision a reality.
It won’t be easy. Great things never are. You’ll risk failure at every turn. You’ll have to overcome challenges you never knew existed.
But you’ll never achieve meaningful success in your project (whatever it is) without taking the risk, making the clay, gathering your team, and ultimately bringing your vision to life.
I have one favor to ask: If you like this content and think someone else will like it as well, please forward this post to them.
The Hawthorne Effect refers to a psychological phenomenon where humans modify their behavior in response to being observed or studied. This effect was first observed in the 1920s and 30s during a series of studies conducted at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago, hence the name.
The studies were designed to investigate the relationship between lighting conditions and worker productivity. But researchers found that regardless of changes in lighting, workers’ productivity improved when they knew they were being observed. This meant that the mere act of being the subject of an experiment or receiving attention could influence individuals to perform better.
It also means this powerful personal growth tool is available to you. It turns out that you are the observer you’ve been waiting for, the catalyst for your own transformation.
“You can’t learn to swim by reading a book about swimming. You have to get in the water.” – Unknown
The Burpee Quest
Funny thing about burpees: watching someone do a burpee makes it look super easy (barely an inconvenience). If a Crossfit guy tells you that a good warmup is 10 burpees per minute for 10 minutes, you might think that’s totally doable…until you try it. You’ll learn about muscles you haven’t used in years. You’ll be reminded that gravity is not your friend, and that you’re not as coordinated as you thought.
What if you start by doing 10? Not 10 per minute for 10 minutes. Just 10. Each day.
That’s a tangible and doable goal to start. You can observe (there’s that word) your progress and set incremental milestones for more. Maybe you move up to 20 per day the second week, 40 per day the third week.
A great way to keep track of your progress is to track your progress. Sounds simple…but most people skip the tracking. Tracking is your way to observe (there’s it is) your progress, and lets you become your own motivating force. Write the date and burpee count down on a piece of paper, in your favorite journaling app, or maybe in an Excel spreadsheet.
You are incrementally moving toward 100 burpees in a day. You’re tracking your progress and will start to see the significance of each step toward your goal.
There’s something else you can observe (that word again). Your body’s responses while you’re doing the exercise. It will get easier as you go. Easy? No, just easier. Your body (and mind) will begin to move to a higher level of performance. Your baseline capability will increase. Gravity still isn’t your friend, but you’re starting to learn how to partner with gravity to do the next burpee.
“Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous.” – Confucius
It’s been 4 or 5 weeks since you started this quest. You’re now able to do 3 sets of 25 burpees each day. You haven’t reached 100 burpees yet, but you’re well on your way. If you’re like most people, you might observe (there it is) that you can lighten up a bit at this point. You’ve totally got this. You don’t need to push as hard to improve from here. Your goal is in sight. Don’t fall into this trap!
This is the moment to refocus your goal…push it out a bit…extend the finish line. You’ve already mastered the movements, now you need to apply discipline and blow past your original goal of 100 burpees per day. Parlay this achievement into the next goal?
Maybe actually using the 100 burpees as the warmup that Crossfit guy described. You’ve been working on just getting to 100 burpees in a day, but what’s the next exercise you can do after your burpee warmup?
Same process. Take it in increments, track your progress, celebrate your milestones, welcome to another new baseline, continue to improve, set the next goal.
How can you apply this to your profession?
Actively seek opportunities to acquire new skills. Embrace the awkwardness of not knowing exactly how to do something…and do it anyway. Remember that the satisfaction of learning and growth is uniquely yours. You, as the observer, choose the path of continuous learning. It’s the best way (the only way) to adapt to the evolving demands of your profession.
Improve your value in increments, track your progress, establish new baselines, continue to improve. Sound familiar?
Solicit constructive feedback from colleagues and mentors, appreciating external input as valuable guidance. However, remember that you are the only one who can internalize and implement these insights. Nobody will do it for you.
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” – Vernon Law
Your Keys to Self-Improvement
Consistently integrate self-observation and improvement into your routine, recognizing that only you can chart the course of your personal growth.
Reflect on your experiences, setbacks, and successes, understanding that the satisfaction of improvement is a personal journey. You are the sole interpreter of your progress.
Remain flexible and open-minded, adjusting your methods based on feedback and new insights. As the observer, you continually determine refinements to your approach.
Embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth, understanding that the satisfaction derived from overcoming challenges is a deeply personal experience. Stay committed to your objectives, recognizing that only you can appreciate the significance of your efforts.
The Hawthorne Effect is your friend (unlike gravity). Use it and always remember that you are the observer, the driver, and the one who benefits most from your continuous improvement journey.
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 
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