Destination, Direction, Path, and Steps

Aggregation of marginal gains.

Think like a gardener, work like a carpenter.

A direction in life, and a step in this day.

Small changes lead to remarkable results. Aggregation means to bring together. Marginal means small. Gains are the positive results of tiny, daily decisions and actions. When I step back and take a moment to look at any monumental achievement, it’s easy to see the power of good decisions, habits, and time working together to create those remarkable results. Good habits don’t have to be big to accumulate, but the patience to see those results is challenging.

Daniel Coyle writes, “We all want to improve our skills quickly—today, if not sooner. But talent grows slowly. You would not criticize a seedling because it was not yet a tall oak tree; nor should you get upset because your skill circuitry is in the growth stage. Instead, build it with daily deep practice. To do this, it helps to ‘think like a gardener and work like a carpenter.’ I heard this saying at Spartak (the world-class tennis academy in Russia). Think patiently, without judgment. Work steadily, strategically, knowing that each piece connects to a larger whole.”

I can’t help but smile as I sit here writing the year-long book of reflections. Every day, I just show up. When I do, the hardest part is over. It’s marginal, seemingly meaningless in the big picture, yet profoundly critical. Then, I write a few lines of important things I find important. Nothing necessarily profound, but again, profoundly important that I’ve simply shown up, and I have done the daily work.

As I write this book, I sit here knowing I'm months away from finishing. That’s my gardener's mindset. I accept that it’s going to take time. I accept the gains are marginal. Talent grows slowly like a seedling. I’m often impatient and judgmental of my work, but in the big picture, I trust the process.

This morning, I began my journal with the words, “I don’t always know the destination, but I know the directions. I don’t always know the path, but I know the next best step.” Today, may I take that step that helps me make that gain as a carpenter of this day and as a gardener of this life.