Where are Your Tools For Success?

The story is told of a man who was hired to paint the stripes down the middle of the road. He was grateful for the opportunity and threw himself into the work. At the end of the week, he went to pick up his paycheck from his boss.

The boss said, “I need to ask you something. The first day, you painted ten miles of road. The second day, you painted five miles. The third day, you painted three miles, and yesterday you only painted one mile. You’re doing good work, but why did you paint ten miles the first day and only one mile yesterday?”

The worker looked at his boss with a big smile and said, “I keep getting farther and farther from the paint can!”

Take a Lesson from the Painter

It’s easy to laugh at the painter’s mistake, but many of us do something surprisingly similar. As we grow, we often leave behind the very practices that helped us progress in the first place.

Some people try a new technique or system for a few weeks or even months, but somewhere along the way it gets left behind and they don’t even realize it’s missing. But the practices that got you this far won’t help you reach the next level if you abandon them along the way.

An experienced carpenter wears a tool belt with hooks, loops, and pockets for the many tools he needs within easy reach. Walking back to the toolbox every time he needs his tape measure, hammer, square, pencil, or a nail would be terribly inefficient and would dramatically reduce his productivity.

Take Inventory of Your Tools for Success

Which practices helped you in the past that you’ve quietly stopped using? You may need to take a few steps back to retrieve them and consistently practice those techniques until they become daily and weekly habits that will help you move farther faster than you ever thought possible.

Some tools for success include persistence, consistency, and positive habits.

As the old saying goes, time spent sharpening the axe is never wasted. Take inventory of your tools. The most effective ones didn’t just get you here, but they’re what will catapult you to the next level.

We gather many tools for Success in the Master Key Experience. Check it out HERE.

One tool that you can access right now is the Mark J Success Quiz!