I consider the success of my day based on the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap.
Robert Louis Stevenson
This is how I want to evaluate my days. Not based on my output, but if I invested my time in the right things. It may feel less productive, but that is okay.
If you join a zoom call with me, my background isn’t a perfectly curated bookcase or beautiful plants, its this flag …
I chose this, not only because it was hanging in the developers section of my first office job, but because it is the antithesis of how you build a good culture.
Sadly this mindset is all too common and so dejecting. I recall working at an office where the production team wanted their area painted (a small request), but the business team wouldn’t do it until revenue targets were met – something the production team was not even responsible for!
At StoryTap, one of our five values is Family. We want to support our team members personally and professionally, proactively helping them so they can do the best job possible. We haven’t always got this right, but seeing that flag behind me is a constant reminder of how important team morale is and how I don’t want to operate.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
Psalm 90:17 ESV
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Establish comes from the Latin word meaning “to make firm” – and as I read this prayer, it resonated deeply with me. It feels like so much of the work I do is ephemeral or fleeting. What is important today is forgotten tomorrow, and even the “good” things I have built are mostly digital, simply 0’s and 1’s that could be erased and never seen again.
I long to have the work I do make a meaningful impact, or at the very least, not be a total waste of time and effort that could have been better spent. The truth that God will establish our work, he will make it solid and of lasting value, is so encouraging, even when it doesn’t feel significant.
CS Lewis captured an aspect of this idea well in The Great Divorce, when he pictured the good work we do here on earth reflecting the heavenly truth that is so much better. So yes, our work here is just a reflection, but when done well, it reflects heaven to those around us.
When you painted on earth – at least in your earlier days – it was because you caught glimpses of Heaven in the earthly landscape. The success of your painting was that it enabled others to see the glimpses too. But here you are having the thing itself.
CS Lewis, The Great Divorce
Measure success not by what a man achieves, but by how he achieves it.
Lawrence O Richards
In the world of business (and probably most spheres of life) it seems that the end trumps the process. Sure, we talk about celebrating failure and doing the right thing – but you are ultimately judged on the result. And those with the best results are the winners.
Now, that doesn’t mean how you got there won’t be discovered and evaluated; just look at all the downfall stories in books and on TV. Yet, despite the joy we take in seeing justice, the truth is that how you work may never be recognized. But it matters, as our true character is shown in those difficult times, when we choose the right way even when it might cost our success.
We should no longer think of work as something that we hastened to get through in order to enjoy our leisure; we should look on our leisure as the period of changed rhythm that refreshed us for the delightful purpose of getting on with our work.
Dorothy Sayers, Why Work?
This is such a refreshing view of work, and one that challenges me personally. It isn’t something merely to be dutifully completed so we can do the things we like, but an opportunity to give of ourselves to make a positive impact here.
Read Dorothy Sayers full essay called Why Work? for a great perspective on the value of work.
I love the idea of craftsmanship, the man or woman who has dedicated their life to their craft and continually hones their skills. They are not satisfied with merely completing the job, but outdoing themselves every time.
Yet, in the world of business startups, it is completely different. We live by the concept of MVP or Minimum Viable Product. You don’t know if the product you are building is something people actually want, so you build the minimum that allows you to test and validate your idea, and then iterate as you learn.
This philosophy resonates with my personality. I love bringing new ideas to life; software for work, and projects of any kind for fun, including brewing kombucha, gardening, and building wood furniture.
Continue ReadingIn 2017 I started writing a weekly letter to encourage others in their faith and vocation – especially entrepreneurs, based on what God had taught me in my journey.
Over a year and a half I wrote 70+ letters, covering failure, planning, control, sleep, and more. All the letters are available here.
These are a few of my favourites: