Build your House
Tyler Makepeace is a former athlete in our programs and is now coaching and providing athletes and families with some great incite and information. This article is called “Building your own House”. This is so important for us as individuals plus parents and players when comes to decisions in what to do or not do in hockey. Make sure you take the time in all the decisions you are making in development to “Build the right House” Hope you enjoy Tyler’s article.
Building your own house
There is a fantastic book by Joshua Metcalf called “Chop Wood, Carry Water” that I recommend to most of my clients. There are countless topics within that are not only applicable to hockey and sport, but life in general. The book is about embracing the process associated with obtaining mastery. Achieving mastery can take a lifetime. Falling in love with the individual steps it takes to get there is what separates those that persist and in fact achieve it and those that don’t. I am going to share a story from the book that will assist in understanding this idea.
There once was an elderly Japanese home builder who throughout his career built magnificent homes. Each home he built, he put extreme care into ensuring all the materials were of the highest quality. He was proud of the product he produced. However, towards the end of his career he was ready to retire. He wanted to spend more time with his grandkids, his family, and to ultimately embrace retirement. When he asked his employer for his blessing, his employer said he had one last project for the home builder to build. Reluctantly, the home builder agreed, knowing this would be his last one. Throughout this project, his heart was never into it. He was less hands-on with the project and stopped purchasing the finest materials for the home. He no longer had the passion and enthusiasm for building the perfect home like he used to. He knew this was not his best work, but he accepted this knowing it would be his last. When the project was finally finished, the home builder went to his employer to once again ask for his permission to retire. To the home builder’s dismay, the employer said he had one last thing for him. Before the builder could lash out in rage, his employer pulled out a box and handed it to him. Inside the box were a set of keys. His employer said for all his hard work, the company wanted to gift him his own home. The home builder could not believe it. Had he known he was building his own home, he would have put the energy, dedication, and passion to ensure it was perfect. Now, the home builder was left with regret towards what could’ve been and wished he could turn back time.
This story is a perfect example in terms of how we are also building our own house. Every day is an opportunity to ensure we are building the house of our dreams. Each decision we make can determine if we are going to get there. Why waste a moment today that won’t get you to where you want to be. Whether that is deciding to finally eat clean, exercise regularly, spend some extra time on the ice, or reaching out to family and friends, we should consider how this decision will affect our house. The same can be said for the decisions we may make to consume harmful substances, become overworked, and not prioritize self-care. Each day we have a responsibility to our future selves. Nobody wants to look back at their life and think what could’ve been. That’s why we need to think about and consider the kind of house we are building today.
Now, I’m going to leave you with a question … What kind of house are you building?
Introduction:
Tyler Makepeace is a mental performance consultant and member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association. His master’s degree specialized in sport and exercise psychology and the delivery of mental skills to athletes. His company, TCM Performance, provides consultation to athletes to enhance their performance, enjoyment, and overall sport experience. He publishes a free weekly newsletter on Substack (https://tylermakepeace.substack.com) dedicated to enhancing individual performance and striving for personal excellence. For more information, you can find him on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube @TCMPerformance or by visiting his website www.tcmperformance.ca.
