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Mark Eastman

It’s Never Too Late to Learn

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You CAN Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

You’ve probably heard the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks“. This means that it is very difficult to teach someone new skills or change someone’s habits, especially when they’re older. This phrase is often used to express the challenges of altering deeply rooted behaviors or learning new concepts. It is not typically about actual dogs, rather it reflects human experiences concerning change. 

We’ve been talking about how to build a better construction business and the tools and systems to make that possible. The importance of knowing who you are and your core values. This can seem like a lot of work. Especially with the limited time available in the construction industry.

Younger construction companies get a rude awakening when they find out how much they didn’t know about running a business.

I thought I knew everything I needed to when I started my construction business over forty years ago. Boy was I wrong!

I got to a point where what I thought I knew … I didn’t. I gave up and accepted that this mess-of-a-life was just the way things were. I needed to accept it and just continue through the rut. And I did, until I was smacked upside the head.

This event changed my life.

There were nudges that I became aware of before the accident that were a part of this change. I was listening to talk radio programs that were speaking to what I was feeling. These included things like Dave Ramsey, Michael Hyatt, Donald Miller, Andy Andrews, etc.

These guys seemed to have figured out how to get out of the rut and I was intrigued. One of the things these guys all had in common was…

The importance of reading.

I had never been a reader up to that point in my life. I saw it as something that required time that I didn’t have. But after the accident, I felt as though I had been given a second chance. Listening to them and what they were sharing resonated with me.

It’s like they knew what I was going through and had a way out of the rut. And the way out was learning. And a big part of learning is reading. It was clear to me. If I wanted things to change I needed to learn, and learning required me making a decision to do it.

Before then I had given up on learning. Learning was for kids in school. As an adult there wasn’t anything else that I needed to know. Boy, was I mistaken!

I’ve learned more since I decided to read than ever before. Learning is something that should never come to an end as long as we are still alive.

Learning is a choice!

Learning will lead to a better business and a better life.

Don’t become an old dog. It’s never too late to learn. If you would like to learn how to BUILD a better business and life for yourself, schedule consultation to get started.

What Do You Treasure?

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This is a Choice

What is treasure? Treasure is something that is valuable. This means different things to different people.

Treasure is often thought of as monetary. Like gold and jewels hidden by pirates or on their sunken ship. They can also be things that hold value that aren’t monetary. For example, it might be something from your childhood that triggers fond memories. Or a person that is loved and valued. Or maybe it’s a place that sparks feelings that you treasure.

A treasure can be any or all these things.

Your treasures are the things that are important and valuable to you.

In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus tells us to be careful about what we chose our treasures to be. Treasures that are of this world are not eternal. They will only last for a limited time. If our focus is on worldly treasures, we forfeit the eternal ones.

He concludes this point by telling us we can’t serve two masters. We will hate one and love the other.

We need to be clear on what is the most important thing to us.

Jesus does not tell us that earthly treasures are bad. Or that our money and possessions are unimportant. We are called to be good stewards.

It’s about prioritizing and putting the most important thing at the top. In verse 24, we’re told that we can’t serve two masters. We need to align our priorities with God’s.

Last week we discussed doing things for the right reason and how the world turns things upside down. We can choose to make our treasures worldly or heavenly.

What is most important to you?

It can be hard to separate worldly from heavenly.  After Jesus concludes telling us what kinds of treasures to store up, He goes on in verse 25 and tells us not to worry.

This is the peace that comes with having our treasures prioritized the same as God’s.

Pick the right treasure and make the right choice.

There is a Limit to How Much You Can Put on a Calendar

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This Isn’t the Same for a List

Last week’s post was about using lists and calendars for making plans. We talked about how your planning is up to you, but if you do nothing … nothing will get done. You can have the best laid plans, but life happens.

You can choose to do no planning and just take things as they come. This haphazard process gives control of your life to others. Or you can plan with so much detail that when things do happen that aren’t part of your plans, everything falls apart. Flexible rigidity is where planning and change can work together.

Calendars and lists are two separate things with two separate purposes.

A list is a place to keep track of things so that you don’t forget them. It’s a good place to prioritize tasks. Lists can be on paper or on the computer. I prefer lists on my computer. I find it easier to modify than paper. Not to mention that I always have my tablet and phone close by. Using OneNote for lists allows me to easily move things up or down in importance as situations change. I can also check things off when they’re done.

I break big goals down into smaller, first next step things. Then I move the small, first next step things to this week’s list and then from that list to today’s list. After doing this from a variety of different lists I now have a list of things that I want to do today to stay on track.

Okay, now we have a list of things to do. If time wasn’t a factor, we could just start going down the list in order…

But time is limited.  

This is where the calendar and a clock come into play.

Like lists, I can choose what I put on my calendar and when I schedule it. The difference is the limited time. I can’t be in two places doing two different things at the same time.

A lot of people view a calendar the same way they view a budget. It’s restrictive and restraining. I, on the other hand, see both as freeing. The same way a budget gives you control over your money; a calendar gives you control of your time. There is a limited amount of time, and you need to spend it wisely.

If you take care of the minutes, the hours will take care of themselves. It is a choice.

My calendar is on my computer for the same reasons that my lists are. It makes it easy to move things around and I always have it close by.

A good example of the ease and simplicity of rescheduling something on my computer calendar happened this morning. I had a meeting scheduled with a concrete contractor this morning at 11:00. The job site was 30 minutes away, so I had travel time scheduled at 10:30. I expected the meeting to take 30 minutes. So, I scheduled travel time back to the office at 11:00.

I got a text from the contractor at 9:40 AM. He was waiting on concrete to be delivered on the project he was working on. He needed to move our meeting to tomorrow at 10:00 AM.

With three simple drags and drops, the travel and meeting were rescheduled. I know that this can be done with an eraser and a pencil on a paper calendar, but it’s not as simple.

One thing I like most about a computer calendar over a paper one is the audible reminders. Granted, sometimes these can be a pest, but isn’t that the point? If we don’t want to be bothered … why even put it on a calendar or a list in the first place?

Ultimately, all of this is a choice. You have the power to control your own life.

Lists and calendars are two different things that can work together. You can put as many things as you want on a list. This isn’t the same for a calendar.

You just need to figure out what works for you and do it. This comes down to being intentional and taking action. It isn’t going to be perfect, but if you keep working on it, it will get better.

If you are feeling lost with your lists and calendar and would like to talk more about how I do it you can schedule a consulting call here.

Do Everything for the Right Reason

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This Includes When You Pray

We’re continuing through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This week we are learning how to pray (Matthew 6:1-15). One of the first things we’re told is how not to do it. We are not to pray for show. He tells us to pray for the right reasons.  He gives us an example of this in verses 9-13, also known as The Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer is something that can be seen as weak or needy. But when it comes right down to it … aren’t we all a little weak and needy? We don’t like to admit this. This is not what the world expects. The world has turned things upside down (verses 5-8).

This upside down was true when Jesus was teaching and is still true today.

Several years ago, Tim Tebow became a polarizing figure because of his praying openly. His act of kneeling on one knee in prayer with his head bowed and one arm resting on his other knee became known as “Tebowing”.

There was a lot of pushback from the media. Some people didn’t think this kind of open expression of communicating with God should be displayed.

Often good people of faith and followers of Christ can get sucked into worldly ways. Look at the Sadducees and Pharisees. They had gotten so focused on the law that was from God that they lost touch with God.

If this action was done as some form of exhibition to become popular, it would have been wrong. But Tim’s actions then and now are consistent with him doing this for the right reasons.

All of us need to battle losing sight of God and doing things for the wrong reasons.

Life can and will be hard at times. In the movie, Unsung Hero, we see a real-life example of this:

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee, in pursuit of a new beginning. David and his wife, Helen, uproot their lives and six children seeking refuge in Nashville after the collapse of David’s music company in Australia following a $500,000 loss from one concert booking.

As the family settles into their new home they encounter numerous challenges, including financial struggles and the daunting task of starting over in a foreign country. Despite the uncertainty, Helen’s unwavering faith and David’s determination propel them forward, instilling hope and resilience in their children.

Three of the Smallbone siblings, Joel, Luke, and Rebecca, develop their musical talents and navigate the competitive music industry. Joel and Luke eventually form the duo For King & Country, while Rebecca (St. James) embarks on a successful career as a Christian recording artist.

In the movie, the father, David, becomes upset and distraught as he is trying to provide for his family. This struggle escalates to the point of losing his temper and saying some very hurtful things. Feeling like a failure, he then hides out in bed for a period of time.

Ultimately, he gains the courage to apologize to the family. In his apology he says,

“I lost sight of what it’s all about.”

This happens to all of us, but we can reduce the chance if we remember to do everything we do for the right reason.

How to Organize Your Daily Plans

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Getting Your “To Do” List and Calendar to Work Together 

As is normal, early in a new year there is a lot of focus on being better organized. Looking for new ways to get more done. This has been a topic that has come up in several conversations over the past few weeks. At the same time, there can be a sense of despair, knowing that you’ve been trying to be better organized over and over without much success.  

We all have way more on our to do lists than there is time to get them done. The days come to an end and there’s still things that need to be done and we feel like we’ve failed. 

Last week, we discussed the importance of taking the first next step. It’s about breaking big, overwhelming things down into small, manageable pieces.  

Ultimately, it’s not going to get done if you don’t do something. 

I know this feeling of wanting to do more and not having enough time to do it all. Then we beat ourselves up, frustrated that we didn’t get more done. 

The question is … what are you going to do to change this? 

I don’t know what you’re going to do, but here’s what I do. 

I have a long, long list of things that I want to do. This list covers big dreams I want to do someday like: remodeling and adding on to our home, keeping my truck in “like-new” condition, having a lifted 4×4 project truck, owning properties, having a second home in the mountains. Keep in mind that when these big things are broken down into more detailed lists, each list is pretty big.  

Then there are the lists of everyday work and life. Like spiritual, family, vocation, financial, personal, church, community. Just like the someday lists, these lists are made of more detailed lists. 

How am I ever going to get everything done? 

For me the lists are great. It helps me to keep track of the things I want to do so I don’t forget something. This, however, does not get them done.  

To get them done, I have to do something. But what do I do first? How do I know which things are the most important? 

The answer to this question comes down to choice. You can choose what is the most important to you. This is where I align my thoughts with God’s. What is it He has put me here to do? 

Now that I have a prioritized list, this still doesn’t mean there’s enough time to get everything done. We are limited in the amount of time we have. 

For me, this is where the calendar comes in. People that see my calendar are shocked at how full it is, the detail, and the color. 

I take things from the to do list and plug them into the calendar. I estimate the time I think it will take and schedule accordingly. Sure, things don’t take exactly the time scheduled, but it’s a place to start.  

This is where being flexibly rigid comes in. This is the act of organizing the most important things around the unpredictability of life. 

Next week, we’ll go deeper into the details of how my list and calendar work together. 

You Have Heard It Said

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But Are You Really Listening?

The past several weeks has been excerpts of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus started speaking to this big crowd of people from the mountain side. He started with The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) and things to do if we want to be blessed. Last week was about being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) and how this makes the world better.

This week, Jesus tells us He is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17-20). He tells us that He has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.

The group of people He was speaking to was big enough that He had to go up on the side of a mountain so that everyone could hear him. Of course, His twelve closest disciples were there, but there were many more than just these twelve. There would have been many followers in different places along their journey.  

There would have also been a variety of other people who weren’t followers. There would have been church leaders, sinners, zealots, tax collectors, and people who were curious about what this man, Jesus, was saying.

The problem was that each was hearing from their own perspective. They most likely had preconceived opinions and weren’t really listening.

This is often what we do. We hear without listening.

There is a difference between hearing and listening.

We often interchange the words “hearing” and “listening” and mistake them for the meaning the same thing. Although there are similarities, they are significantly different. One being more active, requiring effort, and the other being involuntary and natural.

Hearing is a passive, physical act that requires one sense and has to do with the perception of sound. It does not rely on concentration. Hearing is like collecting data; we hear sounds and words all day long, even if we are not paying attention to them.

Listening revolves around actively paying attention to the words and sounds that you hear to absorb their meaning and develop an emotional response. Merriam-Webster defines it as…

Listening is “to hear something with thoughtful attention.”

Listening is a mental, active process that requires multiple senses. Listening is a voluntary act, meaning that an individual can choose whether or not to listen. If you choose to listen, then it is an active process. You can hear sounds and words without having to listen or focus on what you are hearing. Hearing without listening is an example of the common phrase “in one ear and out the other”

Too many of the people hearing Jesus’ message were hearing but not listening. They came with preconceived ideas about who He was and what His message was.

They weren’t listening with their hearts.

We need to listen to Jesus and to others with an open heart.

Even when we listen to what others are saying, it doesn’t mean that it’s truth. We need to listen to things through a Biblical filter to determine if what we’re hearing is the truth.

Open your heart and listen to what you hear.

What’s the First Next Step? 

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Breaking Big Things Down into Little Steps 

Over the past several months we’ve been talking about building a successful construction business. We’ve compared it to an actual building. You need to know what it is you’re building, what kind of ground you’re going to build on, and why it is you’re building.  

Clarity of what you want to build and having a plan is critical to success. 

Then comes the hard part … if you’re going to get it built, you have to do something. Making a decision and then taking action is hard. Especially when it involves something as big and overwhelming as building a business. 

This is the place where most people fail. 

So, how does one move forward when faced with a large, daunting project? 

You don’t focus on the huge, intimidating thing. Instead, you break it down into bitesize pieces. Then you start by taking the first next step.  

I closed last week’s post by talking about how I chose to incorporate The Seven Decisions into my daily routine and how something as small as a butterfly moving its wings can lead to amazing outcomes. 

I use my computer for keeping me on task each day. This next section is part of my daily routine. I use OneNote to organize and track these things. 

After I read through the decision for the day, I read through the overview of all seven decisions.  

Next, I step back and think big. Why am I here and what is it that I’m supposed to be doing? 

Being a believer in Christ, I remind myself that it’s important to not be afraid to dream big (Mark 11:23-24) because nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37). 

 This is followed by the illustration below of how I can turn those big dreams into results:

DREAMS   →   VISIONS   →   GOALS   →   ACTIONS   →   RESULTS 

Start with Dreams – Turn Dreams into Visions – Visions into Goals 

Goals are bitesize Visions 

“A vision that is ready to go to work is a Goal” 

ACTION – I can only do ONE thing at a time, what will it be? 

If I’m going to accomplish the big things, I need to remember to break them down into small ACTIONS.  

At this point, I read through a list that I call the “FIRST NEXT STEP”. This list starts my day off in a proactive mindset. By reading through this list daily, it helps me to incorporate these things when I start something new or switch from one project to another.  

FIRST NEXT STEP:

  1. Start with prayer 
  2. Get off my “BUT”, stop making excuses 
  3. Put it on the calendar 
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (delegation / accountability / education) 
  5. Take goals seriously (create a sense of urgency early) 
  6. Maintain positive forward momentum 
  7. Celebrate wins 
  8. Don’t overthink it 
  9. Break the goals down into brick size pieces  
  10. Make goals about giving and not about getting 
  11. Review progress regularly, and be accountable 

    This process helps me make big things doable. Sure, it takes time to incorporate this into my daily routine. Ultimately, it comes down to making a decision. I can choose to do this or do something else. But for me the time spent is worth it.  

    The same process isn’t going to work for everyone. This is where you need to decide if you just want to roll the dice on the outcome of your business or if you want to take control. 

    Breaking big things down and taking the first next step makes big things doable. 

    Ultimately, it is up to you to do something different to get a different outcome. Or you can just keep doing things the way you are.

    Are You Scared of the Dark?

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    You Don’t Have to Be

    This week’s Scripture is Matthew 5:13-16. This is a continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Last week, we saw Jesus start with the Beatitudes. Now, He’s teaching us about salt and light.

    We are to be salt and light in the world.

    Were you scared of the dark when you were a kid?

    We’re all familiar with being afraid of the dark. The dark can be a scary thing. We can’t see what monsters are out there hiding in the dark. Even the small glow of a night light is enough to keep them at bay.

    Even as adults there are monsters out there. They may be different than when we were kids…but they’re out there.

    Light makes things better.

    Light helps in a lot of ways. It reveals things that we couldn’t see otherwise. It provides safety by helping us see where we’re going and what we’re doing. Light brightens the world around us and helps improve our and other’s moods. Light gives off warmth.

    In verse 14, Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. Light does no good when it’s hidden. We are to let our light shine.

    Light is spoken of throughout the Bible. It is where everything began. In the beginning, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-4)

    Salt makes things better.

    Salt is a mineral made up mostly of sodium chloride. It has a lot of uses, such as making food taste better and preserving it so that it can be kept longer. Salt can also be used to relieve bug bites, disinfect, and relieve sore throats. Not to mention it makes things safer by helping to remove ice from roads and sidewalks.

    By being salt in the world, we can help things be better. We can relieve other’s struggles and make things safer.

    Isaiah saw what the world could be like if everyone was salt and light. In Isaiah 2: 1-5, he tells us to “walk in the light of the Lord.” Jesus is our night light.

    Or think about Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in Exodus 34:29-35. His face was shining so bright that he put a veil over it. Moses was a night light for the people. He radiated God’s light.

    We should be like Moses. We need to radiate God’s light. We should help others see better. We should be night lights.

    We are called to be salt and light.

    Success Starts with the Superpower of Choice

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    How I Put This Superpower to Work

    The past couple of weeks we talked about my “aha moment” and how the Seven Decisions in Andy Andrews’ book The Traveler’s Gift were a part of that.

    In the book, David Ponder feels like a failure and is ready to give up. That is until his amazing, supernatural journey through time. On this journey, he makes seven stops, each one providing a ‘Decision for Success’.

    He is instructed to keep them with him—reading each one every morning and every evening for twenty-one days—committing these seven principles to his heart. Only then will they become a part of who he is, leading to a changed life.

    Here’s how Andy determined what these were and their value:

    After both of his parents died when he was nineteen he had no money and was living under a pier in Golf Shores, Alabama. From this place of despair and anguish he asked himself, 

    “Is life just a lottery ticket or are there choices one can make to direct his future?” 

    Then something amazing happened, a turning point in his life. He became friends with an old, homeless person, who gave him a remarkable gift- a library card.

    He started reading the biographies of famous, successful people. He became more and more interested in learning how these people achieved success.

    Over time, he read more than two hundred biographies of great men and women. He wondered if they were simply born this way. Or were there decisions made that led to success?

    It took several years, but he determined that there were seven characteristics that each successful person had in common. 

    Each one of us has the ability to change the world.

    Every choice you make matters. Even more important, every choice you don’t make matters just as much.

    The Butterfly Effect is the belief that even the smallest, tiny actions can have dramatic consequences. The flap of a butterfly’s wings can be inexplicably intertwined with the birth of a hurricane around the world.

    Even the smallest things we do can have a tremendous impact on our world.

    Andy points out that even though these seven principles don’t seem very profound. “They can have impact once you really grasp how they’ve been used by other people. Then they become an amazing key to releasing incredible personal power that allows you to explore the world of opportunity that surrounds all of us.”

    After reading The Traveler’s Gift and learning more about Andy and his story I felt like I needed to put this into practice.

    I took the advice given to David Ponder in the book and read through each of the Seven Decisions every morning and evening for twenty-one days. This is part of my daily routine. At the end of each twenty-one days, I read the corresponding chapter from the book. When I get to the end of reading the seventh decision for the twenty-first time I then read the whole book again.

    I know that this seems like a lot, but it comes down to this.

    I decided to incorporate these Seven Decisions into building a better life. Like the “butterfly effect” small actions can lead to big results.

    No matter how small the action is, if it’s not done, nothing is going to change. If you don’t do something, nothing is going to get done.

    You have the superpower of choice…are you going to use it?

    Do You Feel Blessed?

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    If Not, Here’s What You Do

    With the snow that we’ve had there has been a lot of shoveling to make paths through the snow. This gives a clear direction and makes our journey easier.

    Jesus makes a path for us.

    We can follow this path, or we can go tromp through the snow on our own.

    Jesus lays out some instructions that will help us on the journey in the Sermon on the Mount. These are known as The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Beatitudes are “blessed sayings” delivered by Jesus. In the beatitudes, Jesus stated several blessings, each beginning with the phrase, “Blessed are …” Each saying speaks of a blessing God will bestow on a person who exhibits these qualities.

    The beatitudes introduce and set the tone for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing humans’ humble state and God’s righteousness. Each beatitude depicts the ideal heart condition of a citizen of God’s kingdom. In this idyllic state, the believer experiences abundant spiritual blessings.

    These declarations given to us by Jesus are like ‘If this, then that’.

    They are conditional statements that set up a condition and then describe what happens if that condition is met. For instance, ‘If it rains, then the ground gets wet.’

    The list of ‘if this, then thats’ given to us by Jesus are as follows:

    “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    (This is not about being sad or discouraged. It’s about being humble and realizing that we need God. We would have nothing and be nothing without Him.)


    Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

    (This is mourning over our sinfulness and repenting of those sins.)


    Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

    (This is being meek and submitting to God’s authority. The world wants us to believe nice guys finish last. It’s being like Jesus and showing gentleness and self-control.)

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

    (Hunger and thirst speak to the deep need and driving passion for what is right to God, not to our worldly wants. Righteousness is the quality of being right in God’s eyes.)


    Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

    (We reap what we sow. We show mercy through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion toward others.)


    Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

    (Being pure of heart is being cleansed from within. It’s not an outward display of righteousness that others can see. It’s an inward holiness that only God can see.)


    Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

    (This is an inward peace. It’s a peace through Jesus. It’s not a worldly peace. There will always be conflict as long as Satan is here on earth.)


    Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    (Just as Jesus faced persecution, so will his followers. Those daring enough to openly live for Christ rather than hide their faith are genuine followers of Christ.)

    Beatitude is supreme blessedness.

    This is extreme happiness. A state of great joy. I don’t know about you, but I want extreme happiness.

    Living out these declarations will lead to a blessed life. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. But it is worth it.