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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.

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.

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.

    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?

    A Successful Business Starts with a Decision

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    The Question Is: Will You Make It?

    Last week we discussed my “aha” moment when I was recovering from a concussion. This revelation involved reading The Traveler’s Gift, a book written by Andy Andrews.

    In the book, David Ponder felt like a failure at forty-six years old. He had lost his job as an executive at a Fortune 500 company. Then he lost his part-time job working at a hardware store.

    He felt like a failure!

    Until he had an extraordinary experience that revealed the power of decisions to succeed in business and life.

    Before my accident I was at a place in my life that was nothing like what I had expected it to be. I had some big dreams when I was younger. I was going to be farming thousands of acres. Own a successful construction company. Have a nice, big, new home. Be driving new cars and trucks.

    Then, thirty-five years later, none of these things had happened. I did own a construction company, but it wasn’t anything more than a minimum wage job. I had conceded that this was the life I had and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

    I had accepted the fact that I was a failure.

    Then came the accident. I believe it was God’s way of getting my attention and telling me that things could be different. I really connected with David Ponder’s situation in The Traveler’s Gift.

    I was where he had been. He took the lessons learned in his journey through time and the people he met and implemented them in his life. He had the power of choice, and he used it.

    Here is an overview of the seven things he was shown and implemented that changed his life:

    THE SEVEN DECISIONS

    1. The Responsible Decision

    I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions. I am responsible for my success.

    “THE BUCK STOPS HERE.”

    “If decisions are choices…and our thinking dictates our decisions – then we are where we are because of our thinking.”

    President Harry S. Truman

    2. The Guided Decision

    I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the council of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

    “I WILL SEEK WISDOM.”

    “God moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself.”

    King Solomon

    3. The Active Decision

    I am courageous. I am a leader. I seize this moment. I choose now.

    “I AM A PERSON OF ACTION.”

    “My future is immediate. I will grasp it with both hands and carry it with running feet. When I am faced with the choice of doing nothing or doing something, I will always choose to act!”

    Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

    4. The Certain Decision

    I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

    “I HAVE A DECIDED HEART.”

    “Truth is truth. If a thousand people believe something foolish, it is still foolish! Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion. I have found that is better to be alone and acting upon the truth in my heart than to follow a gaggle of silly geese doomed to mediocrity.”

    Christopher Columbus

    5. The Joyful Decision

    I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

    “TODAY I WILL CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.”

    “Our very lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make choices. Then our choices make us.”

    Anne Frank

    6. The Compassionate Decision

    I will forgive even those who do not ask for forgiveness. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly. I will forgive myself.

    “I WILL GREET THIS DAY WITH A FORGIVING SPIRIT.”

    “Forgiveness is a secret that is hidden in plain sight. It costs nothing and is worth millions. It is available to everyone and used by few. If you harness the power of forgiveness, you will be sought after and regarded highly. And not coincidentally, you will also be forgiven by others!”

    Abraham Lincoln

    7. The Persistent Decision

    I will continue despite exhaustion. I focus on results. I am a person of great faith.

    “I WILL PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.”

    “Great leaders – great achievers – are rarely realistic by other people’s standards. Somehow, these successful people, often considered strange, pick their way through life ignoring or not hearing negative expectations and emotions. Consequently, they accomplish one great thing after another, never having heard that something cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing!”

    Archangel Gabriel

    The experience David has on his travels helped him to connect with and understand these decisions. The same thing happened to me as I read the book.

    I realized that I had the power of choice. I could make decisions.

    Decisions are something that we too often reject or ignore. We let other people or situations make decisions for us. Then we find ourselves stuck in a rut, thinking there’s no way out.

    It doesn’t have to be this way. We have the power of choice. We can make the decisions if we choose to make them. But we have to make them. This is where success starts. The question is…are you going to make them?

    The Next Step in Building Your Business

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    Going Forward from Core Values

    Building a business is like building a construction project. You need to know what you want the end product to be. You need to know what you have to work with. You need to have a plan for building and then build accordingly.

    Who you are is like the ground you build on.

    Just like building on sand is different than building on clay. You need to know who you are and then build the business so that you will be able to support it. Your why is the thing that supports everything else. This is who you were made to be.

    Previous posts about this –

    Next comes the foundation. This is your core values. The things that you choose based on what you believe. These can be different for different people.

    Just like foundations can be different depending on what they’re built on, there are some things that are required regardless of what the ground is like. The foundation is more flexible than the ground it’s built on. It can be modified and improved.

    It’s important to be clear on your core values.

    Previous post about this –

    Now that you have a solid foundation built on solid ground you can start framing.

    This part is where it’s really important to have a plan. There are a lot of different styles of building, and you need to have clarity.

    I know that when I started my construction business, I thought I knew what I was doing. Then after several years of struggling, I decided that what I was doing wasn’t working. I concluded that this mess was just how construction and my life were going to be.

    I was aware of the problems but didn’t know what to do.

    Then I had an “aha” moment. It involved being smacked upside the head.

    In December of 2012, I was literally hit in the head with a board. It was a pretty big one too (a 14’ long 2×12 plank).

    We were installing wafer board boxing to the second-floor wall of an addition. I was standing on the plank approximately 8’ above the ground when it broke. Luckily, I don’t remember any of the ordeal from the time I was measuring until I woke up in the hospital three days later. Based on what I was told, I fell, I hit my head on one of the ladders, then on the concrete slab, and then the board hit me in the head.

    It sure is good that I have a hard head. Seriously, I was fortunate that I came away from this accident with only a concussion.

    The reason I’m telling you this is that while I was recovering I read The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. I really connected with this story and where I was.

    Forty-six-year-old David Ponder feels like a total failure. Once a high-flying executive in a Fortune 500 company, he now works a part-time, minimum wage job and struggles to support his family. Then, an even greater crisis hits: his daughter becomes ill, and he can’t afford to get her the medical help she needs.

     When his car skids on an icy road, he wonders if he even cares to survive the crash.

    But an extraordinary experience awaits David Ponder. He finds himself traveling back in time, meeting leaders and heroes at crucial moments in their lives—from Abraham Lincoln to Anne Frank. By the time his journey is over, he has received seven secrets for success—and a second chance. The Traveler’s Gift offers a modern-day parable of one man’s choices—and the attitudes that make the difference between failure and success.

    After reading this book I realized that if things were going to change, I would have to do something. I was the one who had control. I had the power of choice.

    Next week we’ll look at the Seven Decisions presented to David Ponder and how I incorporated them in my life.

    You can incorporate them in your life too.

    It’s Not Too Late to Build a Better Construction Business

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    Learn from the Past, Look to the Future, Live in the Present

    As we are rapidly approaching the end of another year, I’m beginning to think about what things I can do to make my business better. There are things that we know we need to do and have been putting off.

    Life is busy, especially at this time of year.

    Looking back can be disappointing and discouraging if things haven’t gone as you planned.

    Going forward we can do better. But this requires being intentional and taking action.

    While thinking about areas where I fell short and opportunities I missed or ignored, I was reminded of the Hallmark Christmas movie, A Shoe Addict’s Christmas. Its story is similar to A Christmas Carol.

    In this movie a woman, Noelle, accidently gets locked in the department store where she works. While waiting to be rescued, a quirky woman named Charlie appears. Over the next few days, Charlie—a guardian angel—helps Noelle rediscover the life she has been avoiding, by visiting Christmases past, present, and future.

    We’ve all had situations that we can look back on and wish we had done things differently.

    We can’t change the past, but what we do today will affect the future.

    In the movie, Charlie tells Noelle a story about a man caught in a snowstorm.

    It goes like this: there was man who was out in the snow, and someone came by in a sleigh and offered him a ride. The man refused. He said, “God will take care of me”. Later, as the snow continued to get deeper, another man in a sleigh came by and offered to help. Once again, the man refused, “God will take care of me.” The next time a sleigh came by, the snow was up to the man’s chin. For a third time the man declined the help and said, “God will take care of me.” Then, when the man goes to Heaven, he asks God why He didn’t save him. God answers, “I sent three sleighs, and you ignored them all.”

    Too often we ignore the sleighs that God sends us.

    As long as we’re still alive, even if we’ve missed or ignored sleighs in the past, it’s never too late to get on the next one. It is up to us to decide.

    “God moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself,” The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews.

    If you don’t want to get buried in the snow, you need to shovel what you can, when you can, and take the sleighs when they come along.

    In business, a sleigh could be learning from someone with more experience, or it could be using systems and processes that will provide you with the tools you need to build a better business.

    Learn from the past, look to the future, live in the present.

    One such sleigh that could help you get out of your snow drift is a construction proposal system designed specifically for your business. We’re currently offering a free, customized construction proposal system to one lucky winner.

    Here’s what you’ll win:

    • Custom System: Built to match your unique business needs
    • Digital Tools & Templates: Easy-to-use resources to save you time
    • 1-on-1 Coaching: Weekly sessions to guide you step-by-step
    • Follow-up & Reviews: Stay on track with ongoing support

    If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system…

    Enter Giveaway Here!

    Core Values are Where Success Begins, Part 2

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    They Will Help You Avoid Wandering

    Core values are the foundation your life and business are built on. Last week I gave you a brief definition of what my first six core values mean to me. This week I’ll do the same thing with the final six.

    Here are the final six:

    Build the wall one brick at a time

    A more common saying is to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Building the wall one brick at a time is the same thing. It’s just a more construction-focused message. When there is so much to do, it is easy to be pulled in many directions and to lose focus. It is important to concentrate on one thing at a time. Otherwise, we can become overwhelmed and unable to focus on any one thing well. It takes thousands of bricks to build a building, but we can only lay one brick at a time. Focus on that one next brick.

    I have two ears and one mouth

    It is important to be quiet and to listen to what others have to say. As I process information, I tend to think out loud, which is me talking. I need to remember to listen better and talk less. We are all in such a hurry and have so much going on in our heads that it can be hard to listen. This core value reminds me of the importance of slowing down and listening.

    Avoid drama

    Life is too short to get caught up in things that are out of our control and/or have no or little effect on what is truly important. Some people aren’t happy unless they have some drama going on. This means they want to pull everyone around them into the fray. Those of us who want to make things better can be pulled into these situations. Don’t be pulled in.

    Be accountable

    I am responsible for my actions, whatever they are. I have the power to make decisions and act accordingly. Choice is the one superpower that we all have. Too many times we choose not to use it. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else and not take the blame for things that are our fault. If it’s our fault we need to own it.

    Take off the blinders, be more observant

    Intentionally slow down and be observant. Look around and really SEE things. It can be hard to do this when there is so much to do. Being focused on work and projects is a good thing unless it becomes the only thing. You can be so focused that you miss out on other important things. I tend to get focused like this. That is why this is one of my core values. It reminds me of the importance of this.

    Intentional action

    This is the second most important one behind “honoring God in all that I do”. Nothing happens without action, and we need to be intentional about doing something. It can be hard to move forward when attempting to achieve perfection. It is important to stop thinking and talking about it, but rather take action and do it. A lack of action holds more people back than anything else. Action without being intentional can take us in the wrong direction if we aren’t careful. Too many times we get stuck looking for a guarantee that what we’re thinking about doing is right. Take intentional action.

    And that is all of my core values.

    I read through them at the start and end of each day. This helps me to continually build my business and life on a solid foundation.

    If you would like to figure out what your core values are you can use the process for building your business on a solid foundation.

    Another way to avoid wandering is having good business tools. We’re currently offering a free, customized construction proposal system to one lucky winner.

    Here’s what you’ll win:

    • Tailored System: Built to match your unique business needs
    • Digital Tools & Templates: Easy-to-use resources to save you time
    • 1-on-1 Coaching: Weekly sessions to guide you step-by-step
    • Follow-up & Reviews: Stay on track with ongoing support

    If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system.

    Enter the Giveaway Here

    Core Values are Where Success Begins

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    Without Them You Just Wander

    The past several weeks we’ve been digging down in the dirt and discussing who you are. Who you are is the ground that your business is built on. That ground is what supports the foundation of your business. The foundation is your core values and principles.

    Last week I shared the list of my core values with you. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not as much. I’m constantly working on the things on this list to get better at them.

    Here’s a brief definition of what these core values mean to me.

    Honor God in all that I do

    Because I believe that everything that I have or do, belongs to and comes from God, it is only right that I show my appreciation by giving Him the credit for everything. This is the one core value that all the others are supported by.

    Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can

    Often churches and religions preach that making money is wrong. I have struggled with this for years. Not making a profit is a sure way to lose a business. I think this quote from John Wesley is good advice and fits well with God’s word, “Money is not evil. What we do with it and how we handle it needs to align with God’s purpose.”

    Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount

    Time is similar to money, if it is viewed from the perspective of a zero-based budget. There is a limited amount of time each day. This means there is a limited number of things that we can spend time on each day. We choose where and how we will spend it. It is up to us to know what the most important things are and focus on them first.

    Pay attention to detail

    Details matter. Paying attention to details is the best way to circumvent problems. I remember a time early in my construction career when I was working for another contractor. He kept pushing me to go faster, which meant cutting some corners. It ended up that not paying attention to the details cost both of us time and money when we had to go back and redo the work.

    Never be satisfied with mediocrity

    Mediocrity is the minimum requirement to be average. God has called us to be above average. He has called us to excellence. Going above and beyond is where we set ourselves apart. It is where we accomplish the most. It is where we are working in our sweet spot. This is the place we were meant to be and the thing we were meant to do. Don’t be average.

    Find and maintain the balance in everything

    Balance is critical to living well. It is a constant lifelong quest. It affects all areas of life and is hard to maintain. I see balance as a large platform sitting centered on top of a small point. Without anything on the platform, it is level. When one thing is placed on top of the platform near the center, things go pretty well, and it stays relatively level. As more things are put on the platform (and things begin to be crowded from the center) it starts to get heavier in different areas. This causes the platform to lean. If one heavy thing or too many things are moved too far from the center, the platform will tip far enough that things fall off. Keeping things from falling off the platform is all about weight and location. Our lives are like this platform. God set our platform balanced perfectly on this point and given us the responsibility of keeping it there. The difficult part of this obligation is the number of things we get to choose from to put on our platform. The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. and each of these areas are full of an endless number of smaller things that we can put on our platform. Some things carry more weight than others. As we go through life, the things we have on our platform will and should change. FINDING AND MAINTAINING THE BALANCE of our platform is our responsibility. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!

    To keep this post from getting too long, I’m splitting the list in two. Next week we’ll look at the last six of my core values.

    Reviewing these core values regularly is a part of my daily routine. This helps keep me aware of them and reminds me to include them in everything I do.

    If you don’t know what your core values are yet, go back to last week’s post and use the process for how to identify your business’s core values.

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    Build Your Business on a Solid Foundation

    by

    Your Core Values are the Building Blocks

    Over the past several weeks we’ve discussed the importance of a solid foundation for building a successful business. We talked about the ground the foundation is set on is who you are and how you can know your why.

    This week we’re going to go back to the foundation. We’re going to take a more detailed look at core values and how they work as the building blocks of your business’s foundation. 

    Core values are your fundamental beliefs. They are your guiding principles.

    It’s like your business conscience. It is who you are.

    The definition of CORE is – the central or most important part of something. This is the most inner part of who you are. This is like your conscience. The deep down, on the inside, who God made you to be.

    VALUES are – the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something; a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. This is the part that you choose. How you want to be, how you will treat others, etc.

    This doesn’t mean they are good. Some people’s values may be selfish or greedy, but regardless, we choose what values we will live by.

    These are the non-negotiables. The things that, when faced with decisions, will help your business withstand earthquakes.

    How to identify your business’s core values:

    1. Look at a list of values. Find a good, extensive and thorough list of values (like the one below) and start digging through it.
    2. Identify the ones that resonate. From the list, identify the ones that feel most important and mark it with a 1 for most important, 2 for somewhat important, and 3 for least important. Narrow down your number 1’s to six to eight values that feel like an absolute priority. To help you figure it out, ask yourself who a few people are that model what you inspire you, and look at your number 1’s to see what matches. 
    3. Know your heroes. You can also find your core values by thinking about your “heroes,” reflecting on what they embody, what they stand for, and how they embrace it.
    4. Notice your patterns. Being aware of your patterns that are healthy versus unhealthy can guide you in identifying your core values. You can learn about what you want and what doesn’t feel right to you in this process,
    5. Assess whether you’re happy. Ask yourself whether your experiences or choices are making you happy. If not, there are likely core values that aren’t being met in those decisions and situations.

    Here is an abbreviated list of personal core values –

    1. Integrity
    2. Freedom
    3. Autonomy
    4. Justice
    5. Faith
    6. Success
    7. Wealth
    8. Grace
    9. Play
    10. Joy
    11. Balance
    12. Peace

    Here is an abbreviated list of work core values –

    1. Clear direction
    2. Efficiency
    3. Dedication
    4. Growth
    5. Collaboration
    6. Creativity
    7. Research
    8. Professionalism
    9. Timeliness
    10. Quality
    11. Problem-solving
    12. Discipline

    You can see the complete lists here.

    My personal and business core values are the same. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not so much. Things that I’m constantly working to get better at.

    My core values are things that are in alignment with what I believe God wants from me and for me.

    It’s hard to define your business’s core values if your business is more than just you. We are all individuals and recognizing this will make the process easier.

    My Core Values—other than the first one—are in no specific order. Some you may recognize as quotes or common sayings. Others are things that I have modified in some way that are meaningful to me. And some I conceived on my own. All of them are values I hold high and strive to live out daily.

    Here they are:

    1. Honor God in all that I do
    2. Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can
    3. Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount
    4. Pay attention to detail
    5. Never be satisfied with mediocrity
    6. Find and maintain the balance in everything
    7. Build the wall one brick at a time
    8. Remember that I have two ears and one mouth
    9. Avoid drama
    10. Be accountable
    11. Take off the blinders, be more observant
    12. Intentional action

    Over the next couple of weeks, I will break down these core values and give you more insight into what they mean to me and how I try to live them daily.