Lego Lesson With My 4 Year Old…..
I was sitting and playing lego with my oldest son, Tyson, the other day when it dawned on me that I have a great teaching point here. But first, a little history on the lego.
It is fact the very same lego that I played with almost 30 years ago. Yes, my parents were clever enough to save it for me and wow, do I have a lot of lego.
In todays market, I am sure that it would easily fetch over $1000 for all of it. Not that I have thought about it…… just a good thing that I don’t use Ebay….
So, it is all collected and contained in a large rubber maid container, or at least most of it is….remember I do have two small boys! Recall the last story I made mention of my 2 year old son, Denver, well he has gotten over the stage of wanting to eat everything (oral stage) but I think it is safe to say he is still in destruction mode
…. makes for some interesting evenings and weekends to say the least. He is finally understanding that taking it apart will get him 2 minutes in the penalty box! (you can tell I am Canadian, eh?)
What lesson did I learn? Well, I was sorting through all of the colors, shapes and sizes to build our lego city when eventually I decided that I could work with any color, shape or size to build things. You see, our lego is a collection of several different sets, purchased over several years. Most of the instruction booklets have been misplaced or shredded by my two boys so we now simply use our imagination.
Again, this is where my lesson comes into play. I did a lot of sorting to come up with a final product.
I had to sort, sort, sort and sort some more to get what I could work with, even though the structure may not have been the same color and a few pieces stuck out here and there, I will still able to get it to work.
Isn’t that how things work in the business world? Sort to find those individuals who will work….
I don’t care how rough around the edges they might be, what skill set they have or their background but I am more than happy to work with those who want to work!
I used to coach competitive volleyball and have since taken a break to raise my young family but again, the same principle applies. It did not matter to me how rough or polished my volleyball players were as long as I had some raw athletic ability and a strong work ethic. I could turn them into what most considered to be well equipped volleyball players.
So, just remember when you are forming relationships, looking for those to work with…..you will do lots of sorting and eventually come across many who are keen, focused and have a desire to work.
Oh, got to run… more lego to build!
Cheers – Steve
Google Buzz
17 Comments on Lego Lesson With My 4 Year Old…..
17 Comments
Hi Steve,
First off a great compliment to you for the time you put into your boys…you will never regret…family is so very important especially in those young years to help mold and guide this eager minds..
Also the parallel you found in the business world…good thinking…keep it up.
Paul
Thanks for the kind words and the support, Paul.
I have no regrets working only part-time as an Educator
It has allowed me more time with my young family, time
that I will never get back.
I will keep sacrificing in order that they might have anything
they want…. I will most certainly teach them to not take
anything for granted and will instill in them a strong work ethic.
Cheers
Steve
What a great lesson and anecdote Steve! It’s so true it’s really about ambition and work ethic..if that’s not present then that person is really not working with FOR SURE. Because those qualities you CANNOT instill in someone.
Thanks for the share!
Eleni
Thanks Eleni…. You’re the best
Congrats on the Cleanse by the way….
Talk about work ethic!
Cheers
Steve
Steve,
I love this analogy. It’s so true. And as someone who also spends a lot of time sorting lego, I know how tedious that can be. It’s often dull and uninspiring to look for yet another blue square. And hard to see the big picture at the end.
So it is with potential business partners. To sort, and look, and keep at it. Without seeing the end result. But when you find that blue square and it fits into the plan and helps build that vision. It’s all worth it.
Jodi
Couldn’t agree with you more Jodi. It is the short term pain that produces long term results!
Cheers
Steve
love your lesson from the lego world, steve! love your dedication to your boys and your mind and work all at the same time. i must say i am rough around the edges with this online stuff, but with some coaching and dedication it seems to come together!
thanks again!
sue
Thanks for the support Sue. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with your online ventures.
Cheers
Steve
That’s a big lesson that sadly some never come to understand. Building a business is like sorting through random legos, you keep putting your hand in the bag and pulling out pieces and checking to see if they’re the one you need. They might not be, and that’s not their fault, but those that aren’t will not get your time. When we find the piece we need, we spend the time getting it into the framework we are building, and helping it snap into place just right. Then we reach for another piece… over.. and over… consistency and commitment, and not getting upset that a large number of the pieces often just won’t work! When we build in joy, like a 4 year old, instead of in desperation, we experience the natural wonder of the process. Thanks for sharing!
Steve,
I love the lesson you share in this post. Sorting and sifting through people to find the ones who will meet us halfway is the name of the game. I also love the volleyball analogy – what a GREAT game!
Talk to you soon Steve!
Dave
Thanks for the feedback Dave.
Marketing is a numbers game and it is all about sorting.
Have a great day.
Cheers
Steve
I just have to say that is one cool lego land you created! My 2 year old is newly in love with legos ~ so I showed this picture to Daddy and well, he’s inspired!
Anyhow, I love how you share lessons through stories with your children. They are so wise, and I find the more we can return to the simplicity of their efforts and endeavors, the better off we are! Yes, sorting and sifting….so simple and so effective. Thanks for sharing!
Wow!!! How many “buckets of legos” did that take? Great inspiration. I love it when we get life lessons out of every day experiences. This is a great share; thanks for showing us the comparisons of “working with” legos and people.
I love Lego! I used to play with it a lot when I was a kid. It inspires and enchance the creativity from within you!
and as you say.. It’s all about sorting and finding the best fit for you. whether it comes to building relatinships or coaching a volleyball team. (I used to play volleyball btw
)
Looking forward to your next lesson Steve!
Thanks for sharing!
Dr Jon
Hi Steve,
love your lesson, it brings back so many great
memories, spent with my son, he also loved leggo
thanks you for sharing this post.
Hi Steve this post really brought back memories as I have 4 sons and with our grandsons now. As we have so much Lego its in a suitcase!! The instructions manuals have been lost over the years too. The enjoyment of constructing and building out of all the shapes, colors are incredible. The comparison with building a business, sorting through finding those people you connect with and work with them to construct a great final product that looks AMAZING!!!
Kaye Flack´s last blog ..8 Strategies to Develop your Leadership Success
Glad you enjoyed this Kaye. I figured it was a great topic because seriously….who doesn’t love LEGO?
Cheers – Steve
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 7:53 pm and is filed under Part-Time Versus Full-Time Entrepreneur - The Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.