All About You FRIDAY – The Shovel in the Shed (Mornings with Bob)

Shovel in soil, ready for gardening work

I’m one of the lucky ones. I knew I wanted to be a physical therapist since I was twelve. I was home on a weekday eating spaghetti in front of the television watching a movie. I can’t remember what the movie was, but one of the characters was a PT helping someone walk.

“What is that person?” I asked my mother.

“A physical therapist,” she replied. And that answer set the course for my future.

I went through high school diving into my science classes and got a job as the science department lab assistant. I put anatomy charts up on my wall and I learned names of muscles long before I needed to. I was a bit of a geek and it worked in my favor.

I headed into college and took summer classes so I could get to PT school faster. And five years later, I graduated with my Master’s degree in physical therapy. It was a lot of work, but I knew how to do that kind of work.

In 2002, I started my own business and it was nothing like school. I opened my doors with a full staff expecting the patients to just come rushing in. They didn’t.

I thought maybe I needed to hire a consultant or buy a shiny new gizmo to attract clients. There are a lot of things out there that promise easy success if you just spend a few thousand bucks. I’ve bought into several of them only to find that nothing in business comes easy.

“The shovel in the shed doesn’t get the hole dug,” he said. “You can have all the tools but you gotta make the commitment to use them.”

So I stopped flying from one idea to another, rolled up my sleeves and stuck to the thing I knew I did best. Teaching. I taught every chance I got. I taught my patients. I taught my staff. I taught in a classroom. I made learning my pursuit and teaching my tool. And slowly but surely, like a garden carefully cultivated, a business grew up around me.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can buy success. If I buy the right shoes, I’ll run faster. If I download the right app, I’ll lose weight. If I buy the right gizmo, I can get rid of pain. If I get the best set of paints, I’ll be an artist.

Maybe. But a shovel in the shed doesn’t get the hole dug.

“There comes a point when the young have to know it’s their world now,” he said. “Take it. Make it yours. Make it what you will. There’s no announcement or starting bell. The Revolution will not be televised. Nobody is going to give it to you. Nobody else is responsible for your happiness or well being. Do the work.”

I’ve read that paragraph a thousand times. There is nothing glamorous about making a life. But a life can be made if you just take the shovel out of the shed and use it.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate. (And Happy Valentine’s Day)

Until next time…