My husband is a Civil Engineer. He loves to move dirt. Over the years he’s helped build bridges and roadways around Colorado. Most recently, he handled traffic scheduling for a wildlife overpass on I-25 north of Colorado Springs — the trucks and cars, not the animals.
So it came as no surprise that he’d want to construct a terraced retaining wall on the north slope near our home.
Commit and Build Something You’re Proud Of
“Me: Honey, don’t you want to hire someone to build that wall?”
“Him: No, I want to do it myself. I’m an engineer. We build things. It’s what we do!”
And so he has, block by block.
But it hasn’t been easy. Day after day, he’s dug the six levels by hand. Packed and compressed the soil. Placed each 40 lb. block. Positioned the drainage pipes, laid the gravel, spread the dirt, and leveled it all with the help of his link measuring stick and leveling laser. (I’ll tell ya, engineers use some serious tools.)
He’s worked through the heat, the wind and the rain, which eroded some of his efforts. He’s been consistent. And he’s almost done.
Stack Small Wins
You can do it too.
“You have to assemble your life yourself — action by action.” —Marcus Aurelius, emperor, warrior, and Stoic philosopher
Whether it’s a wall, a garden, a book, a business, a family or a life, you too can construct something purposeful, something significant and meaningful and beautiful.
As an example, this article is number 76 since I’ve been writing on Substack (May 2024) with hundreds of others written before that on my two websites. My goal? To create a “body of work” that outlasts me, share ideas, become a better writer and yes, to attract business. It’s small steps built up over time, leading to an author brand.
You’d think by now it would be easy for me to call myself a writer. But a few self-limiting beliefs got in the way: My degree is not in Journalism. Until recently, I hadn’t published a book. I wasn’t getting paid for my writing. All these beliefs held me back.
How to Overcome Self-limiting Beliefs
So here’s what I learned along the way. Maybe you too will benefit from one or more of these concepts:
- You’ve heard this before — you don’t need permission from anyone to “full-on” pursue the thing that makes you happiest.
- You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to start. There’s no need to be in a rush. Begin, then keep it up. Consistency is key.
- Life is a cumulative effort of deliberate choices. Just like the magic of compounding, small wins add up over time. Don’t discount the value of what you’re accomplishing.
- Take the next small step. Remember the headlight theory: the further you travel the more you can see ahead of you. New opportunities reveal themselves — options you couldn’t see earlier on in your journey.
- Be in it for the long haul. If your purpose, or your cause, are important enough, you will have the staying power necessary to keep going towards your goal. You’re learning. Enjoy the ride!
Realize You Have Talents To Leverage
I’m always amazed at how most people underestimate the skills and talents they possess. During coaching sessions, as they describe their accomplishments, it astounds me they can’t see the value in what they’ve done throughout their lives.
“It’s time you realized that you have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet.” —Marcus Aurelius, emperor, warrior, and Stoic philosopher
Maybe it takes an outsider to open the blinds and reveal the potential they have within themselves. Maybe if more people took time to identify their own “powerful and miraculous” gifts, they would make more deliberate choices to build their own “body of work”.
And it’s never too late. Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) started painting in earnest at the age of 78. After her work was discovered, she was featured on a cover of Time Magazine in 1953 and was honored with two honorary doctoral degrees. Her paintings were featured in numerous museum exhibitions worldwide and in 2006, her 1943 painting titled Sugaring Off was sold at Christie’s New York for $1.36 Million.
But fame and fortune wasn’t her goal. She started painting because she enjoyed it. So, who knows where your talents will take you?
My wish for you: explore what’s possible. Pursue the thing that brings you joy, even if it’s a hobby or sideline business while you’re doing the work, for now, that puts food on the table. Don’t be like me, hesitant to call myself a writer because I didn’t feel worthy enough.
Give yourself permission to get going.
Shameless You-Know-What
I recently facilitated a half-day Team Retreat where we discussed personality styles and team roles. Each team was “sent on a vacation” of their choosing and created a “map” of their adventures. We then discussed how their personal roles played out in planning their vacation. I think they worked together very creatively, don’t you agree?
People enjoyed learning a framework that would flex depending on the needs of their environment, whether it’s a role they play at work or when organizing their next family reunion. This half-day session is one I thoroughly enjoy facilitating because people learn so much about themselves and others. And they have fun! To discuss bringing my session on Team Roles to your next retreat or team-building, please send me a note.
Worthy Resources
The Tuttle Twins: Give your child tools to think critically, dream big and become a force for good. Engaging stories that inspire freedom, entrepreneurship and personal responsibility. Help them build connection and character. (This is an affiliate link where I will receive a small amount of compensation should you choose to purchase educational materials on their website.)
Allegiance Flags: American flags. 100% made in America. We believe in doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. We show integrity and respect to our customers, team, and fellow American partners. We don’t promise, we prove.
Range Magazine: Range Magazine is an award winning publication devoted to the issues that threaten the West, its people, lifestyles, lands and wildlife. No stranger to controversy, RANGE is the leading forum for divergent viewpoints in the search for solutions that will halt the depletion of a national resource, the American cowboy.
The CARLA Concept Communication Model: Download a FREE chapter from my forthcoming book by the same title. It’s a simple, 5-step method to help you raise an issue, prove your point, give or get feedback, and much more!