WHY “ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY” IS FLAWED!

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You need to stop focusing on ROME!

John Heywood was an English playwrite from the 16th century.

Today, he is known for his poems, proverbs, and plays. But more than that, it’s his phrases that have made him famous. 

For example, some popular sayings of his that you’d probably know include…

• “Out of sight out of mind.”
• “Better late than never.”
• “The more the merrier.”
• “Many hands make light work.”

But the one phrase from Heywood that is particularly interesting is:

“Rome was not built in one day.”

Typically, people use the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” to remind someone of the time needed to create something great.

And it’s true. It takes time — sometimes years — to master a skill, craft, habit or build a successful trade business.

And while it’s good to keep perspective on your dreams, I think it’s better to remember the other side of this story:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”

The problem is that it can be really easy to overestimate the importance of building your empire and underestimating the importance of laying another brick.

It’s just another brick. Why worry about it? Much better to think about the dream of Rome. Right?

Actually, Rome is just the result, the bricks are the system.

The system is greater than the goal. Focusing on your daily, or even hourly, actions is more important than worrying about your end goals.

Of course, there’s nothing necessarily impressive about laying a brick. It’s not a fantastic amount of work. It’s not a grand feat of strength, stamina or intelligence. Nobody is going to applaud you for it.

But laying a brick every day, year after year? That’s how you build an empire. That’s how you build a successful 7 or 8 figure trade business.

And if you’re not willing to spend the time to lay another brick, then business ownership really isn’t for you and you would be better off getting a job. It’s harsh, but it’s true.

You’re not going to build everything you want today, but you do have to find a way to lay another brick.

So, what’s the best way to lay another brick?

Well, this isn’t about overwhelming yourself and trying to do everything at once… but you do need to remain committed to the process. You need to be committed to continually making 1% improvements in your business, in the right areas, every single day!

Overtime, as these small incremental improvements compound, you will start to see some pretty amazing results in your business…


If you're an electrician, plumber, painter, carpenter, or any other trade business owner who is looking to take your business to the next level, click here to learn more about how our team can help!


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Troy Larkham | Engineer & Trade Business Coach

About the author

From being raised on a cattle farm, to running around the workshop of my families V8 Supercar race team, my upbringing was nothing short of unique. The cowboy-motorsport influence naturally...


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