For over a year, I’ve hopefully given you plenty of reasons to stick around The Woodworkers Journey.
It’s pretty clear to see what’s going on here, and what it’s all about. But, I’ve recently come to the realization that my position here isn’t as firm and polarizing as it should be.
You see, this place isn’t for everyone, and I don’t want it to be. It would be a wasted effort to try to cater to each visitor that came by. Instead, I’d rather focus on helping the right people make massive changes in their woodworking and their lives. And the only way that’s going to happen is if you get to know more of the real me.
So, just in case you’re still on the fence of whether you belong here or not, I’d like to reveal some things about me and what I believe that you might not have known. These things might even give you reasons to never visit this place again.
1. Woodworking magazines are quickly becoming obsolete as their position of authority is being replaced by all of you who are pioneering the social woodworking web. Unless the publications change their view and opinion of what the Internet actually is, then we will most likely see their demise in as little as 24 months.
2. The only compromise necessary for success is with your limiting beliefs, and believe me, you have them. Too many people believe that it’s necessary to compromise some type of happiness and satisfaction in order to achieve exactly what you want out of life. Worse yet, a lot of woodworkers think you have to sacrifice quality in order to “make it” in business for yourself. Well, after years of living that way, I’ve found that you can have your cake and eat it too because you’re the one baking the damn cake in the first place.
3. There is such a thing as too many tools. There’s also such a thing as too few. Most “tool collectors” are simply seeking that instant gratification that comes from thinking a new shiny tool will somehow make them better at the craft. You can use a $1500 handplane and still suck at woodworking. In order to do your highest and best work, you need the essentials and you must constantly be mastering them.
4. Forums are a waste of time and produce an environment of pointless dribble and toxic feedback. There certainly are exceptions to this, but since coming online years ago, I’ve never been able to stay in a forum for longer than a couple of months, tops. Too much time is devoted to discussing issues that won’t move you forward in a BIG way. Twitter is my forum. Find me there.
5. A lifetime spent in the shop is a sad one and should be discouraged. I don’t mean a lifetime spent as a woodworker. I’m talking about 16 hour days 7 days a week. Being a shop junkie is not the ultimate existence. I’ve done it. You end up sacrificing a true living for slavery to something you think is worth spending that much time on. You can make a living with only 4 high quality hours a day in the shop. Spend the rest of it making a life.
6. Conventional wisdom is for the weak minded and should be ignored. Especially in the realms of woodworking business. The majority will have you believe that it will be a life of scarcity and barely making it. Convention is simply around so you know what level you shouldn’t stoop to. The game has changed recently and you get to set the rules now.
7. The economy is never a factor – ever. The so-called bad economy is a real convenient excuse for people to explain away their inabilities to think for themselves and be flexible in business. If the economy seems like it’s a factor in your woodworking business, then you have the wrong clients.
8. Politics is a waste of my attention and I don’t give a minute of my time to it. It doesn’t determine what I’m going to do with my day or my life, and it never will. It’s a child’s game that has no bearing on whether you do what you love for the rest of your life.
9. You are what you eat and what you eat says a lot about you. I have leaned this lesson the hard way. If you’re going to live life to the fullest then a healthy body is essential to this. No exceptions. I’d rather die an old man in the perfect chair I just made, then drop dead because I couldn’t stay out of the snack food isle. Ditch the fast food and go make a big salad.
10. The Internet is not the future, it’s now. I know this is old news, but you’d be amazed how many people, businesses, and major companies still treat it like it’s a passing fad or a new distraction. The reality is that it’s radically changed the face of society and is still doing so. Better embrace the essentials and learn how to leverage it for your success. If you do, you won’t be disappointed.
11. Woodworking can make you wealthy if you want it to. It’s really up to you. When did it become evil to decide to make six or even seven figures with something like woodworking? I didn’t get that memo and neither did a hand full of woodworking rebels who have made this happen for themselves.
12. Hard work is the secret to a life of regret and what if’s. Hard work is an essential ingredient but it’s not the secret to anything. You can log hundreds of hours into something that never moves you forward. Intelligent work is the real secret that trumps so-called hard work.
13. Design is your greatest ally so you better pursue it’s mastery with the same passion as you do your hand tools. In fact, without design as the cornerstone of your work, you don’t stand a chance of getting noticed. If you’re not willing to learn exceptional design then just close your doors. You’re done.
14. The keys to success in woodworking are there for everyone, but hardly anyone has the balls to risk it. And that’s a sad fact of life. It’s easy to continue to find reasons to not do something, but at what point will you look in the mirror with disgust because you never even attempted this dream of yours?
15. There’s no such thing as a a secure job or life, so quit living as if it’s true. Security is a myth. Anything and everything can be taken away from you in an instant. Why put your ideas of security in the hands of someone or something that never has your best interest in mind? Society has been trained to follow the leader in this area and it’s cost a lot of people everything they’ve built up in those false castles.
16. Modern society is relatively poisonous and should never be taken lightly. Awareness is a rare quality these days, but without it, you believe everything you’re spoon fed from media, politicians, and mainstream society that profits from your lack of awareness. Food, air, water, medicine, and even the materials you wear all have some type of toxins. So does what you read, watch, and listen to. It’s almost impossible to escape. It’s very sad.
17 1/2. I hate mayonnaise and Red Oak. I think that’s self explanatory.
Well there you have it. 17.5 things that are at the core of what I’m doing here and how I live. I don’t expect anyone to see eye to eye on everything. In fact, you might not have agreed with any of it. If so, I don’t blame you for never showing up here again.
Taking a stand from your core values is essential to making a difference. Whether it’s in business, life, love…it doesn’t matter.
Being clear about who you really are and what you have to offer is going to make it much easier to find the right people who want your work. Taking a stand with your furniture can help with this tremendously. But that’s a different topic for a different day.
If you found yourself nodding in agreement with some of these and would like to stick around to see what’s going on, then sign up for free updates.
photo credit: wwworks
So what about you? What are you taking a stand for and what core beliefs drive you in your woodworking?
