3 Sentence Summary
“Chop Wood, Carry Water” by Joshua Medcalf is a story that follows a boy’s journey to become a samurai archer. The book highlights the importance of discipline, patience and perseverance through the protagonist’s relentless pursuit of his goal. The author weaves in the theme of the power of monotonous tasks and the role they play in achieving one’s aspirations.
Summary Read Time: Less than 4 minutes
Actual Book Length: 112
First Published in: 2015
Below is the detailed yet quick summary of the book:
Lesson 1: Rewire Your Brain To Do The Hard Work
Success is not just about the end goal, it’s about the daily grind. The key to achieving success is to focus on the small, yet essential tasks that will lead you to your ultimate goal. Whether that means writing 500 words a day, making 50 cold calls, or getting up at 5 AM to run 20 miles, it all depends on what you want to achieve and who you want to become.
The author, Joshua Medcalf, emphasizes the importance of discipline and hard work, highlighting the fact that success is not achieved through shortcuts or easy ways out. To truly make a difference in your life, you must be willing to put in the work and “chop wood, carry water” every day.
Lesson 2: Don’t Let Discouragement Get You
Discouragement is a sneaky enemy that can undermine even the most ambitious of endeavors. It often takes the form of negative self-talk and can manifest as the imposter syndrome, where despite past achievements, one feels they are not good enough. It’s important to be aware of this feeling and take steps to prevent it from hindering progress. This can include identifying and challenging negative thoughts, seeking support and accountability, and setting realistic goals and milestones to measure progress.
Associate with the wrong individuals and you may find yourself in undesirable situations. Indulging in harmful habits such as substance abuse and allowing negative influences to affect your mindset can lead to dire consequences. However, it’s not just external factors that can bring us down, our own internal thoughts and self-doubt can also hold us back.
Recognizing and addressing negative thoughts is crucial in overcoming discouragement and achieving our goals. Surrounding ourselves with a supportive community and focusing on past accomplishments can help to instill optimism and hope. By replacing negative thoughts with a belief in our abilities, we can move forward with our projects and aspirations.
Lesson 3: Build Your Life Like You Would Build Your Last House
When it comes to building a life for ourselves, it’s important to put in the same level of care and attention as we would for building a physical house. We should take the time to carefully plan and invest in our craft, just as we would for a house we plan to retire in. However, often we ignore this principle and produce work that falls short of our capabilities. This could be due to a lack of immediate consequences or a failure to see the long-term effects of our actions.
Just as each brick in a house is important for its structural integrity, every little action we take contributes to the building of our lives. It’s essential to approach our work with the same level of commitment and dedication as a builder constructing a house.
Lesson 4: Do Little Things Right
When learning a new skill, it’s important to start small and focus on doing one thing well at a time. Don’t expect to be an expert right away and don’t get discouraged if you fail. Instead, take the time to learn the basics and focus on mastering them. As you continue to practice, you will gradually build your expertise and confidence. The key is to be patient and persistent, just like the daily task of chopping wood and carrying water, may appear small and easy, but they are essential to progress.
Lesson 5: Mastery Moves In Steps, Not Constants.
When working on a skill, it can be frustrating when progress seems slow or non-existent. However, it is important to remember that growth doesn’t happen consistently. There will be times when progress may seem stagnant, but it is during these times that our minds and abilities are preparing for greater success.
An analogy that can be useful to remember is that of a bamboo tree, which takes years of watering before it sprouts from the ground. Though the growth may not be visible, the effort put in during these difficult times is building the foundation for mastery.
