There’s an old carpenter’s saying.
“Measure twice, cut once.”
It basically means that you should double check your measurements before cutting a piece of wood.
Because once it’s cut . . . it’s cut.
That’s great advice if you’re dealing with a static plan.
But terrible advice for dealing with a dynamic marketplace.
Instead, find a problem that needs fixing.
Or an idea or cause that inspires you.
And then start cutting!
Passion will move you forward.
And circumstances will conspire to sustain you.
Like what happened to the protagonist in the film Kon-Tiki.
He set sail on a balsa wood raft.
From South America to the Pacific Islands.
To prove that Polynesia was populated with humans from Peru.
Once he set his idea in motion, all sorts of unexpected factors cooperated with him.
The balsa wood expanded in the water and bit into the hemp ropes.
Creating a tight seal, resistant to the stresses of the ocean waves.
Every morning edible flying fish would land on the raft.
Providing nourishment for the challenging day ahead.
Yes, he measured and made a raft.
But then he stopped measuring and made an act of faith.
One that took him 4,300 miles in 101 days.
And made his idea a reality.