The Bigger the Ambition, the More Even-Achieving Matters
My ambition almost got me in trouble again, but Even-Achieving saved it.
My garden is my happy place. It’s probably the most visually stunning place where you can see my ambition in action.
A couple of years ago, my dad and I installed a “pondless waterfall.” Which sounds more grand than it is. Basically, I have a water feature with an underground tank that pumps water up to a spillway and splashes it down a few rocks until it lands back into the tank.
One of the first things we do every spring is wake the waterfall up and check for leaks.
This year, I found a big leak towards the top of the waterfall and my ambitious “friend-mode” voice flared up…
I thought to myself,
“You’re going to have move all those big rocks to fix that leak… if you’re moving the rocks anyway, why not expand the waterfall into a dream stream?”
The idea was exciting and because I had already learned how to build the waterfall in the first place, I was pretty darn confident I could do it. In fact, I thought I could probably pull it off in one Saturday afternoon!
And then my Even-Achieving sensors went off and I quickly said,
“Erika, what are you pretending not to notice here?”
After a vetting session, I made a clear commitment to myself and my husband. If I was going to take on this project, I was going to let it take its time.
It’s a good thing I did. Because one afternoon was a GROSS underestimate. 2 and a half months later, I have my dream stream. And it is gorgeous.
But what took so long? Well, besides inclement weather, water doesn’t forgive your mistakes in infrastructure. You must be exact. So, I spent several weeks finding and repairing several more leaks… With the ambition level of this project, there really was no room for error in the finished piece. If that standard cannot be moved, it takes more resources to get it done. In my case, I chose to take the time to make sure I had it right.
When excellence is non-negotiable, Even-Achieving really shines because Even-Achieving asks us to look at what resources are going to be needed to reach the highest level. It doesn’t ask us to just tough it out or push harder. That’s limited thinking and reduces your resources to their lowest capacity – aka your capability as if it lived in a vacuum. So, Even-Achieving encourages us to take a wider lens and to sincerely think through what is truly needed to get our biggest goals done. Our capability is only one part of the puzzle. Not the whole thing.
Since I didn’t want to throw a lot of money at this project by hiring a team of professionals, I chose to generously add the resource of time.
And my goodness, the end result has been incredibly satisfying.
Not only that, but this year also felt different than previous year’s ambitious projects. This year, I didn’t overextend in the process. I didn’t sacrifice time with my family to keep working on the project. I didn’t move aside work priorities. I didn’t push my body past its physical limitations and throw out my back. I didn’t angrily stare out the window when the weather didn’t cooperate. And although I wanted it done sooner, I also allowed myself to learn and grow in the process. Which meant I embraced stepping away to let my “learning” breathe from time to time instead of feeling frustrated or shame spiraling because I needed to step away.
This was success without all the stress. And in this context, I’m glad that I do more than just teach Even-Achieving. I’m even more grateful that I practice it.
Thanks for reading with me today. I hope you find an opportunity to use Even-Achieving to help you move toward your big dreams this week – no matter what those dreams may be.
If you want a look at my dream stream, check out my gardening instagram here.
