Have you ever wondered how a skyscraper is so stable? Why it doesn't just fall down? Well, how deep do you think the foundations are?
Yep, pretty damn deep.
The same is true with your life. The deeper your foundations, the higher you’ll be able to build on that platform. It makes logical sense that the more you put into the preparation, the better the final result, doesn’t it?
Foundations in life are something that we may not often consider, usually because we're too busy trying to build a skyscraper with no solid base. It might stay up for a few months, but when a storm hits, it's going to collapse.
I consider what I'm doing right now to be laying foundations. Yes, I want to go into business. And I’ve started- but it’s all very much in the infantile stages (thank god- I’m not ready for anything big….yet), but sometimes I have to remind myself that what I’m doing is setting the stage for bigger and better things.
It’s not just business that requires foundations. Personal development has once again become a big part of my life, and to me, that is the real foundation for everything else in my life.
What is a foundation?
Foundations are the preparations that you need to make, in order to build something much bigger upon that base in the future. It might mean learning new skills, spending time developing the right habits in your life, or simply taking the time to organise your life to allow you to move forwards productively.
It depends on what your end goal is. Personally, I consider my foundation-builders to be reading and learning as much as possible on the topics that interest me, and that will benefit me over the long term. Financially, I’m paying off debts and starting a basic saving plan.
You’ll notice that, on their own, none of these habits are very extreme. They’re not going to show me massive results immediately, which is where frustration can start to seep in.
Why are foundations the hardest part?
Simply, because you don’t see immediate results. It’s a bit like going to university with the aim of becoming a doctor. You turn up every day, for many years, and you’re not a doctor. Eventually, you’ll qualify as a doctor. Yet you’re starting at the bottom again. Because you’ve laid the foundation of many years of education, you’re now able to start to build your career as a doctor.
If you worked really hard at school and continue to do so once qualified, you could become the best doctor in the country. If you coasted through school, scraping through everything and not caring very much about your end goal, chance are you’ll never become the best doctor in the country. The foundation wasn’t solid enough.
It’s frustrating, though. We all want everything, not just today, but yesterday. Most of us are not willing to invest the time and money in learning how to do something before we start to see success. I’m just as bad- I know that I’m incredibly impatient *and trying to work on it!*. It’s not easy, but that’s why all success is built off not just hard work, but perseverance.
Laying the foundations for a successful life:
OK, so how do you do it? How do you build the foundations for the life that you want?
You take it one day at a time. Start off by creating habits. Get yourself into a morning routine- get up a bit earlier, and exercise, or meditate, or read. Drink more water.
Set aside some time each day to read. You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn if you take the time to consciously sit down and read each day, even if it’s only for 20 minutes.
Spend time developing relationships with your family. After all, they’re going to be the ones supporting you along your journey.
Decide in your head what you truly believe in, and start living that life. Do you want to be known as a person of integrity, dependability, and generosity? If so, that’s great! So make that a part of your life, if it’s not already.
Building your foundations is one of the most important things you can do, so don’t feel too disheartened if you’re not seeing immediate results. What you’re doing is making sure you’re ready to start building up higher and higher to lead the successful life you’ve always wanted.
Laying a foundation is incredibly important in life, but often we want to neglect it. Yes, I’m guilty too. Even if you only spend a short amount of time each day on it, you'll still be moving in the right direction. Improve yourself constantly, and you’ll soon be ready to move to the next level.
Reece is the 20-something creator of Adventures of Reece, where she writes about travel, studying, finance, personal development, and how to live an unconventional life.