If You Want to Grow to New Heights, Start by Solidifying Your Foundation

My dad is an architect. And one of the things I learned from him as a kid is the importance of foundations.

If you wanna build a tall building, you need to build dig a deep foundation. (Otherwise, the whole thing’s gonna topple over.)

The same is true in our lives. If we want to build anything great with our life, we first need to solidify our foundation. Otherwise we’ll find ourselves toppling over, feeling unfulfilled, frustrated, disillusioned, etc.

No bueno.

But… what’s it actually mean to solidify the foundation of our lives?

Well, it might be a better metaphor to look at the roots of a tree.

Not only do the roots keep the tree stable and grounded—even in the face of strong winds and harsh elements.

The roots also bring up nourishment from the earth below. They help give the tree what it needs to be healthy, grow stronger, and flourish.

Okay, so back to us…

We can think about our foundation, or our roots, in the same way.

On one hand, it’s the things that help us stay grounded. The more deeply our roots are planted, the more we can handle the storms of life without turning into a crazy person.

And on the other hand, it’s the things that nourish us and feed us to grow and expand more effectively.

Seen from a different perspective, our foundation is the set of skills, practices, and tools that, when we’re rocking them, make the rest of life easier. 

It’s things like building habits, managing our energy, working with fear, building confidence, setting goals, etc. When you get these areas of your life dialed in, the other parts of life tend to take care of themselves.

Dig a deeper and more robust foundation…ground your roots more deeply into the earth…and everything that happens on top of it is more stable.

Now, why am I talking about all this?

Well, last week, I shared a bit about my #1 all-time favorite resource—Optimize—and the Optimize Coach program which just kicked off. (Article here in case you missed it.)

As I was reflecting on the program, I wanted to share the #1 benefit I felt as a result of Optimize Coach.

The first thing that struck me is that the foundation of my life is deeper, stronger, and more robust than ever before. As a result, I feel more energized, confident, productive, and fulfilled.

With a better foundation to build on, I’ve reached for higher heights and redefined what feels possible in my life. (Like living nomadically while taking on more professional responsibilities than ever before while leaning into vulnerable edges in my relationships and challenging myself in my physical training and…I’ll spare you the details. 😄)

But again, I think it would be more apt to say that the ROOTS of my life are deeper, stronger, and more robust than ever before.

Reason being—and this is a fun fact for your next dinner party—many types of trees, when they grow close together, interweave their roots with one another. (Kinda like they’re holding hands!)

There are lots of reasons for doing this. But the high-level is that it makes them stronger! Trees in a forest are healthier and stronger than a tree on its own.

Put another way, community matters. And it can be tough to find that in the world of personal development.

Which is why Optimize Coach hits two birds with one stone. Not only are your roots growing stronger as an individual, but you’re joining a community of hundreds of people from all around the world who are also striving to be their best in service of those around them.

It’s a powerful experience where you almost can’t help but have an incredible year.

All of which goes to say…

I can give no higher recommendation to a single program, resource, or coaching experience than I can give to the Optimize Coach program.

But you don’t need to take my word for it.

Here’s a list of 100+ stories from participants in last year’s Optimize Coach program. 

Or if video is more your thing, check out this playlist of videos from a bunch of last year’s Optimize Coaches. 

So…

Wanna feel what it’s like to have a deep, rock-solid, earthquake-proof foundation in your life?

Join us in Class II of Optimize Coach. (You can use code MINDFULAMBITION for 11% off.) (I don’t get a kick-back if you use that code. But you do!)

Check out the landing page to learn more. (Read the FAQs too!)

And after that, if you have further questions, reply to me directly here and I’ll get you squared away. 🙂 

Big hugs + high-fives,
Patrick

P.S. Technically, Optimize Coach kicked-off last week, on Tuesday, February 11th. But you can join through the end of the month and still be 100% on-track.

P.P.S. If you wanna have your mind blown about all things trees, check out this episode of RadioLab.