Welcome back to Little Leadership Lessons, my weekly newsletter of short, but powerful lessons to help you become world class at what you do.
Welcome to all of the new folks who joined us after Ali Abdaal shared a partial transcript of a recent coaching session from our work together in his newsletter yesterday. Here’s something similar Ali shared last September that’s available publicly if you’re curious.
A Beautiful Natural Landscape to Quiet Your Mind
College Football Coach Kirby Smart on Why the Little Things ARE the Big Things
“Chop wood, carry water.”
— Georgia Bulldogs Coach Kirby Smart…
…as quoted on my podcast episode with Mom
My Thoughts On Chopping Wood and Carrying Water
I’m a University of Georgia grad and therefore might be heavily biased, but I’m also not silly enough to think Kirby Smart came up with such a simple but effective encapsulation of a powerful concept.
According to writer Kyle Kowalski’s research, the original Zen Koan goes like this:
“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” — Zen Kōan
No matter what business or line of work you’re in, this principle applies. The most powerful, and often the most important, work to do is not always the most novel, interesting, or exciting.
Part of becoming world-class and developing as a leader is being willing to do the same thing, repeatedly, and with excellence for longer than might seem reasonable.
You have to stay in the game long enough to win. And as long as you’re in the game, you need to do the fundamentals well.
To bring it back to where we began, this is exactly what my recent coaching session with Ali was about.
Ali is a YouTuber. Perhaps one of the best in the world, and certainly one of the best in productivity and personal development. The thing that drives the best results for his business above all else is making YouTube videos.
And do you know what he struggles with (as evidenced by his newsletter): coming up with 1,000 things to do *other than making videos.* It seems like it should be more complicated than that, but in fact it’s not.
Before you are world class; chop wood, carry water. After you are world class; chop wood, carry water.
If you are a writer, write.
If you are a YouTuber, make YouTube videos.
If you are a podcaster, make more interviews.
If you are a photographer, take more photos.
If you are an artist, paint more canvases.
If you are a basketball player, shoot more jump shots.
But don’t just do more of it. Use the opportunity to get better with every repetition.
Chop wood, carry water.
It’s the “boring” things that add up over time. This is true whether you’re the best in the world at what you do or whether you’re just getting started.
There’s no way around it. Might as well embrace it.
Questions To Ponder
What is the one activity that drives the most desired results for your business, career, or family? What excuses do you make to deprioritize that activity? What would have to be true to do more of that thing every day, without fail?
Much love and respect.