Models not Blueprints - #8
"It's good to follow a good example, but it's better to always set a good example for others." – Roy T. Bennett
I was born on May 8, 1989, in Athens, Texas (Population ~10,000 people). Childhood, for lack of a better word, was good. I had an intact family, lived in the same house for as long as I can remember, attended private school until my sophomore year of high school, and developed lasting friendships. Looking back, what all this really gave me was stability.
With that foundation, there were a few moments where I chose to introduce some chaos into my life.
Unenrolling myself from the private school I attended.
Choosing my first college (Centenary College) without my parents ever having seen it—they didn’t visit until my first swim meet.
Transferring from Centenary to TCU (go Frogs!).
Calling "dibs" when Katie (my now wife of almost ten years) walked onto the pool deck on her first day.
Moving my family to Nashville on Mae’s (my oldest kid) first birthday.
Stability offered me something that not everyone reading may have: the belief that, no matter the decision, things would work out.
Introducing the above points (somewhat painfully) I want to underscore that no one will have the exact same path to success I have had. My hope is that you won’t use my advice as a blueprint, but as a model for creating your own path. That’s the whole purpose of this project: to offer up ideas, which may or may not work for you, but with the hope that you’ll find at least some that resonate.
This, Not That
When I talk about my morning routine—waking up early, going to the gym—it’s not meant to be a step-by-step guide. The real takeaway is consistency. Every day, you put in the hard work to get one step closer. You might not see results after a day but keep your head down and put in the work, and a year from now, you’ll be unrecognizable (whatever that means for your goals—not necessarily physical).
When I share examples like taking a job halfway across the country (not that I'm recommending that for everyone), I’m sharing times when I believed in myself and the conviction I had in my decisions. Don’t just follow blindly; believe in yourself and in what you’re trying to achieve.
Learn from principles, not just actions.
Key Takeaways
Have a role model or mentor: Find someone you can connect with and learn from but remember their path will be different from your own.
Develop core principles: Focus on underlying principles like consistency, decisiveness, and collaboration.
Put principles into action, in your own way: This is the hard part. Take those principle from my / you mentors examples and make them your own. If something doesn’t align with your core principles, move on.
A good example of this is Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Musk is guided by the question, "Does this get us to Mars faster?" while Bezos asks, "Does this make the consumer experience better?" If the answer is no, they don’t pursue it.
Additional Resources and Thoughts
Book: Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder – Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Buy here
Podcast: The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish – Episode with Rob Fraser: "Tour de Force: The Story of a $10M Sock Brand" - Listen here
Stoicism of the Day: "The human being I born with an inclination toward virtue” – Musonius Rufus
We are all called to help our fellow humans. That can take on many different forms. Again, find what speaks to you and lend a helping hand.