On my birthday walk around the local park, I noticed something.
Only one small patch is finished. The rest is still a dirt track.
But all the materials are already there, stacked neatly along the way.
Calculated. Precise. Probably with some slack built in, just in case something breaks or the weather acts up.
Somehow, when it comes to building stuff, we know how to think like systems people.
We define the goal. We measure everything.
We break it down into materials, hours, labor, weather patterns.
We create contingencies.
We remember the purpose -
Is this road for people or cars?
Should it evoke awe or just get the job done?
Look around.
We’ve gotten really good at building physical world that endures.
That lasts. That functions. That keeps us moving forward.
What if we approached the other parts of life like we do construction?
What if we built our lives with that kind of intention?
Workplaces. Food systems. Relationships. Our future selves.
What if we designed them like architects and executed like engineers?
If it’s worth doing - it’s worth doing it well.
We are the architects of our lives.
So how about we start acting like it more?
Map the ecosystem. Where do you need to plant the seed? What people, environment, culture, or infrastructure do you need to thrive? What's already there? What can you change, improve, shift?
Take stock of your materials. What do you need to gather, acquire, create?
(Skills, tools, knowledge, scaffolding.)
Schedule the labor. What kind of work needs to be done? Where does it live in your calendar? How are you prioritizing your time, energy, focus to work the plan?
Build in slack + feedback loops & keep the blueprint handy.
It’s never gonna go as planned so plan extra resources and time; the faster you can see what’s working, not working, the more you can notice progress - the less you get stuck; and never stop asking - What is it all for? - to keep yourself building what’s planned, knowing how to prioritize and why, how to make the right choices.
That’s how you become the architect you already are.
A good day to look at the blueprint.
What about you? When was the last time you looked at yours?
