A lesson from Magna-Tiles
For me it was legos. For my kids, it is the magnetic tiles.
There are inherent challenges involved with building anything; anything worth building is going to be difficult to build.
When my kids are building a tower with the magna-tiles, there are recurring moments of excitement and disappointment before ever enjoying the final product. They stack the tiles with anticipation of a vision in their head, but then it falls down; usually it is either that a sibling knocks it down or the structure is not stable. There is a frustration and disappointment that boils up, and then a choice to be made: rebuild or pivot.
That sounds like life, right? Sometimes external circumstances lead to a failure in a plan: a sibling knocks a tower over; a storm destroys a farmer’s field; a sick kid throws a wrench in your plans; a broke-down truck derails your day.
Other times, it is self-induced: unpreparedness, ignorance, mistakes, failures, stupidity. All of these are a normal part of life.
I have found the same to be true in building something of my own in my adult life. Whether it be one of my home projects or launching my book or continuing my online presence or building a new process at work, the same experience persists. There is a cycle of excitement and anticipation, often met with disappointment and challenge for one reason or another, then a choice to rebuild or pivot.
What will I choose?
The difference between my projects and my kids’ magnetic towers is my processes have real-life consequences attached to them. As my life grows in responsibility, the potential consequences of failure and disappointment grow in number and impact. As I grow older, the opportunity cost compounds.
At 32, time is relatively on my side, but it is fading in its value. If I had been entrepreneurial in spirit at the age of 22, I would have had less to lose: my wife was working full-time, so I was not the only income. I had no kids, and I had an additional 10 years to work with. My free time at 22 was more readily available. I did not own a house and I was not a part-time pastor at a church. The responsibilities were lower, and therefore the consequences of trying and failing were lower.
The math around investing at 22 versus at 32 is clear, and the same weight of opportunity cost applies to projects beyond investing.
A failure in this current season carries great detriment to more than just me.
It is ironic: the entrepreneurial spirit in me has grown, but so have the potential consequences. That does not mean don’t try; it simply means my efforts need to be more calculated, more intentional, more strategic.
There is difficulty in the actual building of something, whether it be a brand or a business or whatever. On the other hand, in my current season, I have a greater level of grit than I did at 22. That is something that is going for me. I feel confident I can figure just about anything out, and I am teaching my kids that principle daily which helps to hold me accountable. If I give up just because things are difficult, what is that teaching them?
Just because something is hard, just because there are potential consequences, does not mean we don’t try. It simply means we need to be strategic and calculated in our movements.
And if it is difficult to build, it might even mean it is worth it.
For those with kids, and maybe even those looking for a new hobby, here is a link to a nice magnetic tile set. Help your kids learn some life lessons from building, from failure, and from choosing what happens next.