The Value of...Your Craft

Jon Gordon is a fantastic author, speaker, and motivator whose writings often take the form of simple parables enriched with golden nuggets of wisdom, relatable characters, and thought provoking questions.  I’ve been a big fan of Gordon’s books since reading his best-seller The Energy Bus and didn’t think another one of his writings could inspire me more than that one!  That was until I read another one of his works, The Carpenter.  Wherever you are in life and whatever the goals you have for your future, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Carpenter; it has something for you and may end up helping you to adjust your priorities or to refocus on your “Why.” Let’s dive in for a quick overview, and two of MY big takeaways that I hope will add value to YOU this week.

The book begins by introducing us to Michael.  Michael is like so many of us (particularly coming off 2020 with its spillover start into 2021)--He is tired, stressed, and overworked.  Michael lives his life going through the motions and fulfilling the “oughts” and “shoulds” with his family and career, but his tank is on empty.  

During a jog one day, the weight of everything he was carrying in life caused him to collapse.  After waking in the hospital and learning that he was alive because of the act of a Good Samaritan who came to his rescue, Michael decided he wanted to go and meet this man and thank him for saving his life.

After being released from the hospital, he finds the man named J. who helped give him his second chance and learned that J. is a carpenter.  Michael was in need of carpentry work at his home and partly out of necessity and partly out of an effort to give him a “thank you”, hires J.  Michael quickly learned that inviting J. to work on his home project would prove to be one of the best decisions of his life and their friendship would change him forever.

Big Takeaway #1:

The power of how J. viewed his work.  

Others saw J. as a carpenter and that was his daily vocation, but in his mind his work was much more important than working with wood.  He saw himself as a craftsman.  Whereas knowledge, skill, and a steady hand can help one become a carpenter J. put his heart, passion, and focused energy into every one of his projects knowing that if he did that, not only would the quality of his work attract future business, but each project he worked on would make others’ lives better and be part of his legacy. Let’s hang out with that thought and let it sink in…the passion, energy and attitude behind our work will drive growth in our business and the value we bring to others!

As you go about your journey, parent your children, work on your business, and do whatever is in this chapter of your life, how do you go about your work?  Do you go through the motions which can have a level of success or have you adopted a mindset of a craftsman knowing that everything you do in life, even the seemingly insignificant, has your fingerprints on it.  Every item you work on offers you the opportunity to improve the lives of others and deepen your legacy.  Just a small mindset refocus can add so much energy and unleash passion into what you do.  

Big Takeaway #2:

“What are you doing that makes you come alive?” 

A second concept plays off of the first is a simple question: “What are you doing that makes you come alive?”  We all have unique skills, interests, and gifts.  As a mom of three boys I see daily that despite sharing parents and a home, my boys have different passions and gifts.  One of my sons loves reading and even if it is a ten minute drive across town, brings his book. One of his brothers, on the other hand, has to be forced to read (and I’m still believing deep in my bones that he’s a “reader” in the making!), but has such a quick mind when it comes to math and business concepts! 

In our work and what we do to become a “craftsman” we need to operate in an area that makes us come alive.  What in your life makes you come alive, lose track of time, and end your day feeling energized?  What are the things in your life that you can reduce or eliminate to operate in your joy-filled sweet spot? (Maybe you’ve had a chance to think about this after last week’s blog post on The Value of...Your Time!)  As my business has grown, I’ve quickly learned the importance of adding to my team (of which we are only at the beginning of that thrilling little adventure! I love taking photos and staging images that help my clients introduce their newest resource or make their webinar even more spectacular, but to do that part of the business which I love, I’ve needed help with all the logistics of getting it out there and on so many other aspects of the day to day.  Until now, I’ve tried to do it all, but in doing that, it kept me from focusing on the part that makes me most excited, when I can be the most creative, and where I do my best work.  

This week know that whatever you are doing in this stage of your life, you have the choice to view it simply as work, or you can make the decision to view it as something more - as a craft.  I think that’s where you’ll find growing success!

In the comments below, I’d love to know what makes you come alive, lose track of time, and allows you to end your day feeling energized!