The wisdom of fill-dirt is simple, true, hard, and stupid. Be relentless.
Clever is good, smart is better, strategic is great, prescient is priceless. But nothing outplays relentless in the long run.
I have moved a dumptruckload of dirt in the last week. Not because I’m smart or strong- the exact opposite, in fact. I am 63 inches of idiot who won’t sit down. My back will exact its revenge in ways dramatic and mundane, surprising and expected, over the next six to eight weeks. Buy your Motrin stock now.
But here is what I learned. Smart people stop. And they should, it’s the smart move. They also hire other less-smart people to do the stupid repetitive work. Again, rightly-played, smarty.
But for the things you really want done… choose obtuse relentlessness. Maybe it’s a giant hole in your yard. (Probably not, that’s just me.) Maybe it’s a justice system that works for African-Americans as well as white people, maybe it’s a law about processing rape kits, maybe it’s immigration, or reproductive rights, or health care.
The smart people will walk away. There are a million good reasons why it won’t work, and they are all borne-out by history. The people who win in the end, the people who see the change they want, aren’t the hero on the mountain or the person on the plaque. They’re the 10,000th caller. The rube who filled out the questionnaire from their congressperson. The person who does not stop to assess their odds, or if they’re the right person for the job.
Show up. Bring your gloves.