Benjamin Franklin was a prolific writer. He first published The Way to Wealth in 1758 as a preface to his Poor Richard’s Alamanack. It was a simple attempt for Franklin to summarize his thoughts on how to achieve success in business.
He uses the characters Father Abraham and Poor Richard to discuss the foundations of good business. Franklin conveys these principles through story. The story goes that Father Abraham provides his insights to a crowd waiting for an auction to begin at the merchant docks.
In the story, Franklin focuses on four areas:
- Industry
- Care
- Frugality
- Knowledge
Do we focus enough on Industry? What is Industry?
Industry is our effort. Industry is our work. Industry is our action.
From Benjamin Franklin to today, we are all given the same 24 hours in a day. How do we use them?
Do we avoid the time traps? Are we working toward a higher goal? We frequently hear about individuals and teams that lament they do not have enough time. But they look puzzled if you ask them if they have ever tracked their time.
“We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly..” – Benjamin Franklin
Open your phone – it tells you exactly how much time you spend and on what applications.
If you open your calendar, you can quickly see where you are spending your time..don’t just focus on other people’s obligations and meetings. How much time do you schedule to think, to write, to prioritize, to explore?
What is the worst that can happen if you track your time (by the quarter hour) for the next two weeks.
“Lost time is never found again, and what we call time enough always proves little enough” – Benjamin Franklin
Life is short. Time is the one resource we all cannot afford to waste. The inspector did not show up. The architect did not return the submittal. The materials did not arrive on time. The owner did not make the design decision early enough. So what.
What can you do today, right now, to just keep moving?
“He that riseth late, must trot all day.” – Benjamin Franklin
Getting up early is a superpower. But it starts with the discipline to go to bed earlier as well. Yes, there were fewer distractions when Benjamin Franklin was writing over 250 years ago. But we know what to do…many of us just choose not to do it.
Hard work is hard for a reason. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Don’t be like everyone. Be your best self by finding Industry. Find ways to put more good work into the world for you, for your family, for your team.
“There are no gains without pains;” – Benjamin Franklin
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