Letter to my daughter
I hear the young folks say, “I’m on my grind,” to describe being focused and locked in on what they’re chasing. I like that. In my day we would say someone was “hustling” or “gettin’ after it.”
We’ve been talking about the direction of dreams and shaping a more expansive way to be. So I woke up thinking these thoughts.
Stay on the grind. Just don’t stop there.
Be rock steady.
That’s the keyword in this passage: rock steady.
I think of the grind as being fueled by intensity, but rock steady is built on consistency. Think of the grind as the excitement that starts things. Understand that rock steady is what finishes them.
Two different things. Two different concepts.
A lot of people can grind, but far less can rock steady. Be a rock steady kind of person.
I’ve learned that life rarely changes because of one big day. It changes when you’ve stacked hundreds of ordinary days together.
One workout at a time. One chapter at a time. One kind word. One good decision. Then another tomorrow. And so on.
This is why I always say, ‘Say “hi” to one new person a day.” That’s a rock steady concept. In four years you’ll know everyone. One “hi” leads to opportunities you never knew you wanted.
Take your friend Adrianna, for example. She approached you to say “hi.” Look at how that chance engagement led to bigger thinking.
Rock steady means you show up whether you feel inspired or not. It means you talk less and do more. You keep your footing. You keep your direction. You trust that small steps, taken faithfully, always travel farther than bursts of energy.
You can’t always be on the grind, but you can always rock steady.
Another thing that’s related: limit the time between you saying you’re going to do something and actually accomplishing what you said. Rock steady characteristics do that for you.
People often overestimate what they can accomplish in a week and underestimate what they can accomplish in one year of being rock steady.
So chase your dreams. Work hard. Stay on the grind.
But if I could leave you with one hope, it would be this.
Keep moving in the right direction.
Rock steady.