When it comes to erecting a building, few people would dispute
importance of establishing a strong foundation. It's no different in building a business, a family or a life.In 2000, we watched many of dot-coms become dot-GONES. One of reasons for this is that these companies were built without solid foundations. It's not only brick and mortar companies that need firm footings.
The emphasis today is on instant gratification. But if we want to build something of value, something that will last, we must build a foundation that will support our vision.
The quick fix, quick buck and quick solution will not endure. The individual who shoots to top of his or her field only to self-destruct is often victim of not having solidified values and structure to support stardom. It takes effort and it takes conviction, but rewards are worth it.
Keep Your Eyes on What You're Building There was once a man passing by a construction site. He stopped and asked one of tradesmen what he was doing. The worker replied gruffly, "I'm laying bricks, can't you see that?" The man watched a while longer and then asked another worker what he was doing. "I'm just earning a living," he replied. A third time man asked a worker and response was much different, "I'm building a cathedral."
No doubt personal happiness and quality of work from last man was much better than from first two.
And what about us? Are we just collecting a paycheck, doing drudgery work--laying bricks? Or are we building a cathedral?
By staying focused on what we're building and seeing task at hand as accomplishing that purpose, we'll gain greater satisfaction, our work will be lighter, and we'll create more excellence.
Foundations Take Time I recently watched a building being constructed. (I must admit I was tempted to ask some of workers what they were doing.) For months, there seemed to be little progress. There was plenty of dust, lots of activity, but very little evidence that anything was really happening.
