In 2020 we all watched the world turn upside down. I don't feel the need to re-hash details about that since we all experienced it, suffice to say that my own business enterprises were each completely decimated. In addition, my family faced some devastating events that took a deep and lasting toll on us.
I retreated. At first, I think it was a completely healthy and normal state given everything that was going on... but soon it morphed into something different. Once my family was safe and taken care of, I feel like I should have been able to asses the situation, make a plan, and move forward like I always have. I just... couldn't.
To illustrate, I'd like to share this journal entry from November 2020:
I retreated. At first, I think it was a completely healthy and normal state given everything that was going on... but soon it morphed into something different. Once my family was safe and taken care of, I feel like I should have been able to asses the situation, make a plan, and move forward like I always have. I just... couldn't.
To illustrate, I'd like to share this journal entry from November 2020:
I'm tired. Not the good kind of tired that comes from hard work or making progress. I'm the other kind... the insecure, weak, out-of-shape kind that makes you question every move you make. My tired, I think, has settled into a pretty deep depression and that depression has been trying to convince me to give up, and at some level it has succeeded.
This whole state of being feels repulsive to me. I don't feel like it's who I am... but if it's what I'm doing, I guess it is who I am. It's just really not who I want to be.
I knew things needed to change, or this slump would turn into something I couldn't turn around from. My family needed to eat, and it was so important to me that my boys see their dad face this problem in a positive way.
Around the same time that I was searching for a path forward, I ran across a quote I had saved in my notes that shook me.
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and our grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty.
- Daniel Burnham
That's it. That's the man I want to be. It's the man I feel like I was at some level, but I lost my way. I want to realize my plans, and I want them to matter. I want my work to outlive me. And I want my sons to see me as an example of the pursuit of these ideals.
To that end, in December of 2020 I made some big plans, and I chased them hard. I entered into a new type of business that I had thought about for years but found reasons to postpone. I stayed open and optimistic, I took bold chances and I worked my tail off. I'll bet you'll never guess what happened... I felt amazing. Rewards came in the form of new, exciting work, and a renewed confidence in my ability to do hard things.
As we rang in 2021, the world was still upside down but I stayed determined to grow into the person I wanted to be. I'm still tired... but it's the good kind. I'm working hard and feeling the progress, and I don't want to stop now. So, inspired by my friend Trevor, who showed me how wonderfully transformative it can be to put your plans to paper, and let the circle of people who care about you encourage your growth... I offer you this, my manifesto for 2021. It has been my roadmap so far this year, and I'm so proud of what I've been able to achieve by simply letting it guide my steps.
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No Small Plans.
A Manifesto for 2021.
It's time to grow. It's time to create. It's time to stretch beyond the limits you feel. Now, get to work.
- The time to start is now.
- Don't do something unless it sounds particularly interesting, or particularly lucrative. If it's both, don't hesitate... refer to #1.
- Scale your plans up to your ability, not down to your insecurity.
- Move quickly, and with confidence. Work out the details as you move.
- Course-correct regularly. Don't stay on a path if the planned outcome doesn't stir you. It's ok to change plans, no matter the sunk cost.
- Understand you're playing the long game. It's a year of starting, growing, and pushing boundaries. Results and full returns may be years in the future.
- Be brave enough to admit when you're terrified, and strong enough not to let fear stop you from the work you've set out to do.
- Optimism! Problems are solvable. Setbacks are a chance to learn. Your aim is high, and your purpose is great. Be sure the way you speak, to yourself and others, reflects this.
- Ask for help, and receive it graciously. You can't do this alone, and you shouldn't try to.
- Your energy is finite. Your family gets 60%, your work gets 40%. Spend it wisely.
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I hope you'll join me. Set the fear aside and start. Let's come out of this hole. Out of the pandemic. Out of this slump. You, whoever you are and however you feel as you read this, are capable of doing amazing things. I want you to know it, and I want you to join me in making No Small Plans this year. Stir your blood. Get scared, but chase the hell out of it anyway.