DO THE THING

THE SIMPLE NEWSLETTER - ISSUE # 010

Life’s biggest lessons often come from the smallest moments—like training a new puppy. Excitement quickly turns to chaos, but success comes from patience and preparation. Whether in business or life, the foundation we build today shapes tomorrow’s results. In this edition, let’s explore the power of doing things right from the start.

ADAM'S THOUGHT

This week, something big happened in our household—we welcomed a new puppy into the family! My wife and I have been together for 17 years, married for 15. For a long time, we didn’t have a dog—okay, my wife decided against it, and I went along with her call. But now, thanks to the incredible negotiation skills of my kids (seriously, they’d make amazing salespeople), we’ve got a new furry friend in the house.

At first, it sounded fantastic—a playful addition to our family, bringing joy and energy into our lives. But then reality hit. This little, untrained ball of chaos arrived and turned everything upside down. Our routines changed. Suddenly, we had late-night potty trips, guilt over crate training, and a brand-new creature depending on us for love, discipline, and care. It’s messy, it’s hard, and honestly, it feels like more than we signed up for some days.

But here’s the thing—it’s what’s necessary. If we want this dog to grow into a well-behaved, loving part of our family, we need to dedicate the time, energy, and discipline now. There are no shortcuts. This is an investment we have to make, and eventually, the chaos will pay off when this once crazy puppy becomes an amazing companion.

And doesn’t that feel a little like life sometimes?

ADAM'S LESSON

The experience of training our new puppy made me think about how challenges often come bundled with excitement. Starting a new business, hiring a new team member, or launching a new project can feel like this—it’s thrilling but undeniably chaotic. What if we approached these challenges the same way we approach training the puppy? With patience, effort, and a long-term mindset?

This idea reminds me of a story my father told me about penny counting. It’s a lesson that’s stuck with me over the years, and I think it’ll resonate with you too.

Imagine a quiet room, prepared for an experiment. On a table sits a pile of pennies, slightly scattered but shining under the overhead light. Two participants were asked to count the pennies as quickly as possible, timed by the researchers.

The first participant, eager to start, dove right in. He picked up one penny at a time, counting out loud methodically—“1, 2, 3, 4…” He continued this way, one coin after another, until he finished the entire pile in 60 seconds. It was a straightforward process, but not particularly fast.

Then came the second participant. He glanced at the pile, took a moment to think, and then started organizing the pennies into neat rows of ten. The researchers exchanged glances, thinking this was a waste of time—it took him 20 seconds just to get the rows set. But then, the real magic happened. With his system in place, he counted rapidly—“10, 20, 30…”—and completed the task in just 30 seconds, half the time it took the first participant.

What made the difference? Preparation. That second participant took extra time upfront to create a system, and it paid off when he executed the task far more efficiently.

My father told me this story to teach me a crucial lesson that so many people overlook. If you want lasting results, you have to put in the effort at the beginning. It’s tempting to jump straight into action, much like the first participant, chasing quick wins. But skipping that foundational work often leads to wasted time and unsustainable results.

This applies to so many things—starting a business, raising kids, or, yes, training a puppy. My business partner Tom calls the rush for immediate results “sabotaging behavior.” We strive to be “hyper-achievers,” focused only on quick results, but those results aren’t always as rewarding or sustainable as they could have been if we’d done the work right from the start.

It’s clear to me as I train this puppy that I need to “organize my pennies.” I need to invest in the foundation so that the efforts I put in today will result in something truly beautiful later on. And perhaps you can ask yourself—are there places in your life where you can organize your pennies too?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Are the rewards worth the effort—the business, the puppy, the garden of tomatoes, the dream goal you’ve been working toward? There’s only one way to find out. But if you’re going to do the thing, make sure you do it right from the start. The extra time and intention you put in now could make all the difference later.

Until next time,

Adam

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