Take the Stairs To Reach Your Destination
Take the Stairs To Reach Your Destination
It might feel slower, but each step teaches you along the way.
When my husband and I moved to Brooklyn, New York we lived in a 4th-floor apartment.
The building had an elevator, but every day to walk the dog and do our errands we took the stairs.
It was a beautiful old building with a slow elevator that took forever for the door to open and close.
Taking the stairs was just more energy-efficient, and faster.
Taking the stairs saved time and it helped keep us in shape.
Taking the stairs in life
There's a lot of pressure to rise to success quickly.
To make a ton of money, buy a giant house, and a fancy car, and "arrive" as soon as possible.
Sometimes when you come into riches quickly, you might find yourself without these riches in just a few years. Not having the experience to handle an influx of money or success can work against you.
That's where the power of stair-stepping comes in.
Instead of trying to jump ahead and be "there" right away, you gain experience at each step.
It seems like the less efficient path, but it’s more efficient in the long term.
The obligatory garden analogy
This year we grew over 400 heads of garlic.
That's a lot of garlic and we'll be keeping some to plant next year, sharing with friends and family, and selling a few bulbs, too.
It wouldn't have been possible to grow this much garlic in my first year.
I remember harvesting 20 garlic bulbs in my first year and being so proud. I was in awe that I was able to make this happen.
I learned a lot in the process. How to prepare the soil, plant, tend, harvest, cure, and store it.
A few years later I also learned what not to do as I expanded my garlic patch. With just 20 cloves planted, I didn't worry about weeds.
But when I got into the 100s, suddenly, there was a lot more weed pressure and I had to figure out my mulch game.
This year was the smoothest.
I learned the easy and tough lessons and gained stamina for harvesting, cleaning, and storing our garlic.
It would not have been possible to grow this much garlic in year one. I would have wasted my time and seed garlic money and gotten frustrated.
Yet we expect instant numbers
We think we can skip the learning curve when it comes to business, personal finances, or our careers.
We set outrageous goals like having a six-figure month or a seven-figure year... when we haven't had a four-figure revenue month yet.
I'm not judging by the way, I did the same thing. I wanted that big splashy fast growth.
But I'm glad I took the stairs.
My business income followed a slow and steady trajectory.
On the personal finance side, we stair-stepped our way into bigger investments, too.
It felt like a big step to commit to renting our studio apartment in Toronto. Then another jump up for a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.
When we bought our first home it felt daunting, but we got comfortable with that higher monthly payment.
Each step increased our comfort level with spending on housing and it taught us a lot.
We learned lessons along each step. We realized that the big house we bought in Texas was too big for us. A big house meant more expenses, more cleaning, and more heating and cooling.
When we decided to invest in a farm property, which was a more expensive step, we wanted to make sure the house was the right size. We downsized the house, opted for a place without a pool, and focused on the qualities of the land.
We learned what was important to us from experiencing them.
That's what stair-stepping helps you do: it gives you perspective.
When you take the elevator and rush past all the learning, you might get to the destination but you’ll miss out on the lessons along the way.
Trying to buy a farm before getting comfortable paying our rent each month would have been too much pressure.
The slow and steady stairway
The first time you take the stairs, it’s hard.
But it gets easier every day you do it. Each time you take the slow and steady route, you gain momentum that’s more sustainable long term.
These days, I still feel the urge to push through and go faster.
But I remind myself that the stairs are the better option.
Plus, you get a nice pair of legs out of it. And they will take you wherever you want to go next.
About Nathalie and the Momentum Memo
Nathalie Lussier is a writer, technologist, and regenerative farmer. Ten years ago she founded AccessAlly, a WordPress course and membership solution, which she recently exited.
She publishes The Momentum Memo which features nature analogies to make sense of the modern world of business and creativity.
Thank you for much needed encouragement. I need to stay patient and gain confidence while building my business. I'm sure things will start picking up soon.