Better: the Unpopular Path to the Best

     Have you ever had a project that excites you to the point of keeping you up at night? You imagine it in every detail, what it would feel like, what it would mean to you, how your friends would react if they could only see what you’ve seen in your mind for so long now. If you’re anything like me you have pages upon pages of detailed plans outlining these very things or maybe you’re exactly the opposite and just the thought of writing down your vision sends you reeling into a panic and questioning the meaning of existence. Whatever the case there is a definite reason that this exciting project stays in the highly protected fortress of your wishful thinking. There is a missing component from the cocktail of wonder that confines it to the prison of your imagination. Whether it be a trip to Japan or building the house of your dreams, in this post, I hope to give you the key to unlock that prison and set your dreams free. It’s time for you to show the world and yourself what you’re really capable of.

     I’ve spoken to so many people with frustrated goals and failed plans. One of them wants to be married more than anything in the world but disqualifies a potential mate based on something as superficial as the quality of their cooking. I know an aspiring woodworker that takes every opportunity to express how much he knows about joinery techniques and yet doesn’t have so much as a coffee table to attest to his supposed talent. I know a man with the heart of an automotive enthusiast who turned down every opportunity he got for a sports car and now drives a moped. So what? What’s wrong with a moped, or learning about joinery, or caring about high quality food for crying out loud?

     Well, in and of itself, there really is nothing wrong with any of these things. In fact I applaud the man with high standards, an insaciable thirst for knowledge, and who thinks over his decisions with meticulous care. The problem lies not in the action itself, but in the lack of action thereof. It is my belief that the word “compromise” has grown to mean “failure” in the minds of my closest friends and I’m afraid it has also become their greatest obstacle. These dear friends I mentioned earlier all had one tremendous weakness in common…they improperly labeled progress as compromise. They wanted perfection without understanding what it even looked like much less how to get there. In my previous posts perfection has been something of a hot topic and there’s a reason for that. It’s not that I hate perfection, it’s actually quite the opposite. It is the ideal that drives us forward and moves us at Kaizen Design Studios to believe that continuos improvement is actually a worthwhile endeavor. You must believe in the best to believe in the better but you must never allow it to paralyze you. The best is a moving target, better is something you can hit right now.

     Progress is not always pretty, in fact, it’s usually quite ugly and awkward. There are times when you simply must take the next step forward even if you can’t see the steps that follow it. Success often requires one step at a time, the next step revealing itself only when you’re sure you’re moments from falling. As the saying goes, you must put wood in the stove before it yields to you the fire you want. Wood first, then fire, not the other way around. To become an amazing woodworker you first have to make horrible things to learn what it takes to make great things. To get married maybe it means eating a lot of bad meals before your future wife learns how to cook, there was a point where even the best chefs struggled to pour themselves a bowl of cereal. And maybe that Mustang you were thinking of getting isn’t the Ferrari you really wanted but it’s a whole lot better than the Corolla with duct taped  bumpers you’re currently driving. This is progress not compromise.

     In all fairness I understand that this may be a bit of a harsh assessment, especially of people that I care so deeply about. Please allow me to be clear, it is because I care about them so deeply that I have the courage to lay out these ideas. What would the world look like if my friends were married, or had beautiful custom made furniture, or drove awesome sports cars? If nothing else they would all be just a little happier maybe even way happier. If that happened then those around them might be just a bit happier too, I know I would.

     Understandably your success does not entirely depend on you. There are obvious forces outside of your control. We are all inherently limited by our circumstances, our finances, our health, and world conditions. But before you spin out in a fury of righteous indignation and spew forth all the reasons you can’t do whatever it is you want to do, please let me say just one more thing. While you are limited by the world around you, I have yet to see someone incapable of surmounting the challenge and getting something that was truly worthwhile. I have only seen those who hide behind their excuses, their perfectionism, their limitations. You will encounter temporary defeat but that is entirely different from failure. Accept it and know that only you decide when you have failed. That’s not to say you won’t have to learn and course correct along the way but just remember, you can only control you. Don’t worry about the endless factors outside your control.

     I began this business with a broken miter saw that my dad bought when I was a kid. I made a coffee table with exposed screws from 2x3’s and plywood with that very saw (see picture). All at the request of my sister in law who saw more in me than I saw in myself (no pun intended). Now I sit at a café realizing my dream of writing a blog. A blog I’m sure almost no one is reading but here I am, this blog exists. Whether it’s read or not, whether my furniture sells or it doesn’t, I exist and so do you. Show me what you can do. Stop hiding behind your excuses and muster up the courage to build something. Something ugly, something far beneath the superstar you pretend to be in the comment section, something perhaps unworthy of bearing your name. Because out of the shame and disappointment of what should have been will someday emerge a greatness beyond the quiet vision of your dreams.

Whatever it is, don’t wait. Start now. Be better

Best wishes

Devan Camacho