HIGHLIGHT
A few years ago, I moved to St. Lucy, the northernmost parish in Barbados. To be honest, it took a few months to adjust. You see, it was just too quiet. Where I’m originally from, noise was the norm. However, I decided to make an effort to settle in and embrace my new community. One major way I thought of doing this was by planting a garden. So, I asked someone to help me because I was clueless, and I started. Fam, digging and planting was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I did it anyway. Eventually, the beds were laid, and seeds were planted. After that, I had two responsibilities:
Water the garden.
Pluck the weeds.
Every day, my wife would ask me, “Dario, did you water the garden?” Ninety percent of the time, I’d have an excuse: “Man, the garden’s good, it rained yesterday!” Eventually, the garden—which I and my gardening teacher had worked hard to start—died. Simply because I failed to water and weed.
One day, after the garden had already withered, my wife called me to sit and spoke in the calmest but firm tone:
Lyn: Dario, you see that garden out there?
Me: Yeah…
Lyn: I want you to take a good look at it because it’s a reflection of many other areas of your life.
Me: 😐😲
The truth is, I couldn’t even be offended because she was right. All my life, I’ve known how to grind—how to do the hard work of getting started. If I told you the number of things I’ve started, both personally and with others, you’d be amazed. I find joy in the grind, in the threat of failure, and in pushing through to get something off the ground. But after the grind—after the hard work ends—I get bored with the mundane maintenance or, in the case of the garden, the growth.
I’ve realised that, like me, many people know how to grind. But after the grinding ends, do we know how to grow? Do we know how to commit to the responsibility of not just starting something but keeping it running? It’s so easy to grind, but can you grow?
Since then, my approach to life has radically shifted. I stopped using my personality as an excuse and made a decision: I’m not willing to grind for anything I’m not equally willing to grow.
Society has glorified the grind and the hustle. We feel like if we’re not pulling all-nighters and working when everyone else is sleeping, we’re not achieving anything. But the truth is, if you’re always grinding, there’s a high possibility that nothing is really growing. This is why so many great entrepreneurs fail to maximize the potential of their dream or idea: they’re stuck in the grind and never transition to growth.
Now, I’m aware that some people are gifted initiators, while others are gifted maintainers. But all of us have areas in our lives where growth cannot be delegated. We have to do it ourselves.
INSIGHT: C.H.E.C.K YA SELF
I once heard a wealthy man say, “Life is not about the grind; it’s about being strategic.” So, I want to encourage all you grinders and hustlers—those of us who have planted gardens and laid the foundation—to make sure that equal effort is put into growth. To help me with this, I developed a personal strategy called C.H.E.C.K Ya Self:
Clarity – What is it that I am really trying to achieve? (I thought my goal was just to plant a garden when, in truth, it was to bear fruit.)
Habits – What small, consistent actions can I take to guarantee success? (If I had viewed watering the garden as a habit, I would’ve built it into my routine.)
Environment – What do I need to change about my surroundings to make it easier to commit to my goal? (I could’ve made my gardening tools more visible and accessible to transition to the garden more easily.)
Community – Who can assist me in achieving my goal? (I only asked for help with planting. I should’ve asked for help with maintaining the garden.)
Keep going – What’s my strategy for consistency? (I could’ve established a “2-day rule,” meaning I’d never let two days pass without watering the garden—rain or shine.)
IGNITE
Now, it’s your turn to reflect and take action. Here’s how you can ignite growth in your life:
Choose an Area: Identify one area in your life where you’ve been grinding but haven’t seen growth. It could be your health, career, relationships, or even a hobby.
Apply the Framework: Use the C.H.E.C.K Ya Self strategy to create a plan:
Clarity: Define what success looks like in that area.
Habits: Determine one or two simple actions you can start doing consistently.
Environment: Set up your surroundings to make success more achievable.
Community: Find someone who can support or hold you accountable.
Keep going: Decide on a rule or routine to help you stay consistent.
Test and Adjust: Implement your plan, observe your progress, and refine as needed. Growth is a process, not an event.
Share Your Story: Let me know how this framework works for you! What did you learn? What changed? I’d love to hear about your journey and celebrate your wins
Love this bro, especially as one, who like you thrives in the grind. And like you have come to learn and appreciate the importance of the daily, small, and to be honest boring stuff that bring fruit and transformation in the end.
Definitely Checking Myself!