These days we have heard the word “GRIND” thrown around and echoed quite frequently. But what does it mean? What does it truly mean to you?
One text book definition reads:
grind (noun); hard, dull work “relief from the daily grind.”
Unfortunately, the myriad of people in our society today see that word and think to themselves, “That doesn’t sound appealing at all. Keep me FAR away from anything related to ‘grind,’ it’s not for me!”
With complete certainty I can say that you don’t cower to the thought of this word, like so many others do… because you are here. You are contemplating a path, much like I once did, where this word stokes excitement and opportunity, far above any fear and doubt.
Grind (verb); to reduce (something) to small particles or powder by crushing it, “they grind the coffee beans each morning.”
My father was a hard man but loving and involved; especially when I showed a strong interest in pursuing my dreams as a pro NBA player. I can clearly recall his tough parenting and his expectations as I navigated life from childhood to adolescence. Why did he insist that I work so hard? I was already a pretty good player.
When I got even more serious about basketball in high-school, I looked forward to spending more time outside of the home with the team and the coaching staff. Surely, they would have a much softer management style for my already decent game, right? No such luck. You could say, they definitely put the grind on me!
As I reflect on the way I felt back then, I feel silly and grateful at the same time.
Silly, because I couldn’t see that they were giving me the tools that I needed to go far beyond the average persons’ measures of success and happiness.
And grateful, because they never relented this approach despite any expressions of dismay I may have made.
This led me to the start of an amazing college basketball career while I pursued a professional sports degree. I was on top of the world and nothing was going to stop me and no one was going to stand in my way… that is, until an untimely injury changed everything. Just like that, seeing my name on an NBA roster was a merely figment of my imagination.
While completing my degree, I found difficulty planning any of my next moves. I wafted through my classes and into my twenties, when another blow came down hard… the passing of my father. As I meandered through even more uncertainty, there was one thing I was certain of: that I had to grind.
Grind (noun); a crushing or grating sound or motion, ‘the crunch and grind of bulldozers”
I graduated college with my professional sports degree but no prospects of work thereafter. During my search for reputable work, I managed to snag a job at Merrill Lynch… as a call center employee making $23,000 full-time. If you can imagine the most low-level entry position at an institution, that’s basically where I started.
It may not sound like much, which it wasn’t, but that didn’t stop me from doing what I always had done! Grind.
I treated each task with onerous energy, as if they always needed of 200% of me, no matter how menial it was. In my mind, there was simply no other way to move through life. Apparently, this did not go unnoticed. 5 years after I started at the lowest entry position there was, I was promoted to Vice President of the branch.
I was married with two beautiful daughters and making $200k a year. On the surface, this had the makings of a life that most people DREAM of.
However, work that pays so well at huge companies like this come with an ever-increasing price that goes beyond your time and effort at the desk. Providing my family with such a salary was a magnificent blessing, but I was not able to enjoy anything with them. Travel and time in the office chair engulfed such a large percentage of my time, I quickly realized I was going to be quite absent as my children grew.
The thought of self-employment had run through my mind occasionally …Now, it was a full fledged dream and it was time to seriously consider forging a path to it. Naturally, this was accompanied by fear and doubt. Starting out on your own is hard.
How was I going to do it?
Why would I walk away from such a great job?
Will my family support me?
What happens if it doesn’t work out?
Where do I even start?
If that’s what you’re thinking now, you are in good company, I was in the same boat!
With the proper guidance & mentorship, I was able to manage those feelings and sharpen my craft as I pursued my new dream life. Without it,
I’m not sure if you would be reading this right now!