Don't Let Your Fire Die

I was in Finland last week where I went for a little hike.

In Finland, most hiking trails have a campfire place, where you can rest, eat some snacks and make a fire.

When we got to the spot, I collected some wood and got down on my knees and started building the fire. I used small twigs, tinder and on top, slightly bigger sticks.

I knew it would take some care and attention to get the fire going. I took out the matchsticks, lit the birch bark and dried grass on fire, and watched the flames creep over it all. I made sure to have some twigs over the fire too, and watched as they too caught fire.

The fire started growing slowly, aided by my occasional blowing of fresh air to keep it going. After a couple minutes, I placed bigger logs on top and could watch my work and enjoy the warmth of it.

What does this little story have to do with anything?

Getting this fire lit reminded me how a business or anything else often requires lots of care and attention in the first phases. To get this newsletter up and running requires active outreach, texting people we know and posting about it. If we don’t feed the fire, it dies. If I don’t tell more people about the newsletter and community, nobody will join.

I am experiencing a similar situation with Fluence, my automation agency. When I actively outreach and speak to leads and post, I get more traction, more interest and, ultimately, more clients. The fire keeps growing. Right now, though, I have not been consistent with outreach. We aren’t exactly hitting our goals. The fire is not even burning right now.

It requires a lot of effort to get that fire started. But the good thing is that once it’s roaring and lit, it’s hard for it to stop. Once your business reaches a certain size, you can lean back and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Most people give up, thinking they can’t get the fire going. But you’re part of getshitdone. I know you’re different. Whatever project you are working on at the moment, whether that be a business, a side hustle, a university degree or the gym, remember that the beginning usually takes time, and it will all be worth it some day.