Last Day
Well, it’s official.
As you read this, I’m finishing my last day at Mosaic.
It’s hard to describe the value I experienced in the last 10-1/2 years:
- Thousands of homes built
- Billions of dollars in revenue sold or stabilized
- Growing a team of 30+ colleagues across multiple functions
When I started at Mosaic, my boys were two and five years old.
Next month, they’ll turn 13 and 16, incredible. Unimaginable when it started.
Tomorrow, a chapter ends.
Monday, a new chapter begins.
Quotes that Drive Us
Well, as the day unwound today, I found myself recording a Podcast with Nick Bibeau and somewhere in there we were talking habits and he mentioned the quote on the wall behind me.
Later, he talked about never giving in with respect to something I said and about how I take action and play the game, and I mentioned two other quotes hanging on either side of my squat rack to the left of my desk.
They aren’t just quotes on the wall.
They’re the definitions of the man I’ve become.
It’s the actions you take that matter.
It isn’t motivation you need, but discipline.
I’ve often found quotes are something we can build our personality around and I want to share the four quotes I’ve built mine around:
Habits
This is what we write about a lot.
Habits. It’s the habits that make us.
The habits we take on a daily basis that shape us.
The Arena
What’s got me ahead the most in life is I’m smart enough to figure things out and I’m dumb enough to act on them.
I don’t site on the sidelines.
I don’t succumb to analysis paralysis.
Instead, I Get in the Arena and I get to work.
It’s a willingness to suck until I’m good. To be good until I’m great.
Persistence
It’s not intelligence – sure, I’m smart, but I’m no genius.
I’m not particularly talented at anything, though I’ve gotten decent at some things.
Sure, I’ve got a Master’s Degree in Accounting, but that’s not why I’m a CFO or starting my own business today.
It all comes down to Persistence and Determination.
When I want something, I go for it.
There’s nothing that can get in my way.
It’s about being willing to push through any obstacle in the way until we cross the finish line.
Never Give In
This is it.
The work ethic to my parents taught me.
Blue Collar Folk who worked their way up in life.
Man, did my father push me.
No matter how hard I worked, it wasn’t enough.
No matter how well I played, I could have been better.
Car rides home were a nightmare if I didn’t get it done right.
My parents taught me to push.
They taught me to stand up for myself.
They taught me to stand up for others, as well.
This quote is a wonderful summary of what Mom and Dad embedded in my DNA.
Whether it was long-distance running, hockey, football, sports or eventually my career, they taught me to be willing to go farther than anyone else was.
I’ve always described the lesson from my father this way:
Have a Blue Collar Work Ethic in a White Collar World
When I couldn’t run any more in that ultramarathon and had to walk, it was this quote that eventually pushed me to keep going.
TGG Podcast
This week on the Growth Guide Podcast, we re-released one of our top listened to episodes with our guest Bill Perkins. We talked about his book, Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life.
Everyone is concerned about becoming a millionaire.
They forget you can’t take it to the grave.
Imagine if, by the time you died, you did everything you were told to. You worked hard, saved your money and looked forward to financial freedom when you retired.
The only thing you wasted along the way was….your life.
This book provides a practical guide on how to get most of your money and out of your life with concepts like:
- Decumulation
- Time-bucketing
- Gifts > Inheritance
- Memory dividends
- Investing in experiences
- Consumption smoothing
- The last check should bounce
Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Last Word 👋
I love hearing from readers and I’m always looking for your feedback.
How I’m doing with the Growth Guide. Is there anything you want to see more of or less? Which aspects of the Newsletter or Podcast do you like the most?
Hit reply, say hello, and let me know what you think of the Quotes That Drive Me.
I’d love to chat with you and want to hear: What Quotes Drive You!
All my best,
Clint
