What does achieving authentic success require? How can daily habits and mindset shifts transform your journey toward your goals?
Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf explores the path to success through the lens of a young man’s journey to become a samurai warrior. The book reveals powerful insights about embracing the process of growth, developing a positive mindset, and finding fulfillment in daily practice.
Continue reading to discover practical wisdom that could revolutionize your approach to achieving your dreams.
Overview of Chop Wood Carry Water
Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf is a story of a young man’s journey toward becoming a samurai warrior. Medcalf reveals how authentic success comes from embracing the process of growth rather than fixating on end results. Medcalf argues that cultivating a positive mindset, focusing on daily practice, and reframing challenges as opportunities can lead to both success and a more fulfilling life.
Joshua Medcalf is a mental performance coach, author, and speaker. He’s also the founder of Train to be CLUTCH, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations maximize their potential. He’s written several books, including Burn Your Goals and Pound the Stone.
This overview distills Medcalf’s wisdom into two parts:
- Part 1: Cultivate a Positive Attitude, in which we’ll discuss Medcalf’s advice on managing your thoughts, recognizing your worth, defining your priorities, and building a supportive network.
- Part 2, Focus on the Process, where we’ll cover Medcalf’s recommendations to commit to daily practice, be patient, and view challenges as opportunities.
Part 1: Cultivate a Positive Attitude
Medcalf emphasizes that a positive attitude is key to choosing and achieving goals that lead to a fulfilling life. This is because a positive mindset helps you see opportunities where others might see obstacles, stay resilient in the face of challenges, and maintain the motivation necessary for long-term success.
Medcalf recommends four methods for developing a more positive mindset: Manage your thoughts, recognize your worth, define your priorities, and build a supportive network. Let’s explore each in more detail.
Method 1) Manage Your Thoughts
First, replace self-defeating thoughts with positive, constructive ones. Medcalf highlights that your internal monologue impacts your attitude and approach to achieving goals. It acts like a self-fulfilling prophecy: Telling yourself you’ll fail influences you to underperform or give up. On the other hand, telling yourself you can succeed boosts your confidence and motivation, inspiring you to take constructive actions that yield positive results.
For example, when preparing for a public speaking engagement, instead of thinking, “I’ll probably mess up,” tell yourself, “I’ve prepared thoroughly and have valuable insights to share.” This shift in self-talk may help you feel more comfortable, enabling you to engage your audience more effectively.
Method 2) Recognize Your Worth
Second, rather than tying your self-worth to your accomplishments, how you compare to others, or others’ opinions of you, value yourself for who you are. According to Medcalf, understanding that you’re already worthy, regardless of what you achieve or how others perceive you, frees you from feelings of inadequacy. It does this by empowering you to make decisions that are right for you, rather than choices aimed at pleasing others or achieving arbitrary benchmarks.
For example, if you’re a teacher, instead of basing your worth on how your students’ test scores compare to national averages, appreciate your compassion and dedication to inspiring young minds. This perspective might lead you to prioritize holistic student development over standardized test performance, which is valuable even if it goes against conventional practices.
Method 3) Define Your Priorities
Third, reflect on what you care about before making decisions or pursuing goals. Medcalf explains that having clear priorities contributes to a more positive attitude by reducing internal conflict. Clear priorities provide a sense of direction that guides your actions, preventing you from making choices that are counterproductive to what you really want—and that therefore engender feelings of guilt or regret.
For example, reminding yourself how much you value academic success helps you overcome the temptation to go out for drinks instead of studying for an upcoming exam. As a result, you have more time to prepare and avoid the stress and self-doubt that would have come from neglecting your studies.
Method 4) Build a Supportive Network
Fourth, surround yourself with people who encourage your growth. According to Medcalf, your social circle impacts your ability to maintain a positive attitude and live according to your priorities. He explains that the people in your life can either support and reinforce your goals or inadvertently undermine your efforts. Therefore, he recommends being intentional about your relationships, seeking out those who share or respect your priorities.
For example, if you’re trying to adopt healthier habits, spending time with friends who prioritize fitness and nutrition will make the process easier, since their good habits will help you stay committed to your goal. On the other hand, socializing with friends who pressure you to indulge in unhealthy foods or skip workouts may make it difficult to stick to your new habits.
Part 2: Focus on the Process
In addition to cultivating a positive attitude and clarifying your priorities, Medcalf recommends focusing on the process of achieving your goals, rather than fixating solely on the results. This approach helps you maintain motivation, develop essential skills, and find fulfillment in your daily efforts.
Let’s explore the three methods Medcalf offers for embracing the journey toward your goals: committing to daily practice, being patient, and viewing challenges as opportunities.
Method 1) Commit to Daily Practice
First, Medcalf says you should perform seemingly small and mundane goal-related tasks with consistency and care. Medcalf explains that adopting a daily, process-oriented approach will, over time, help you develop the skills, habits, and traits required to achieve your goals. Additionally, it will deepen your engagement with your work, allowing you to find meaning and satisfaction in routine tasks.
For example, if you’re a software developer, instead of fixating on creating a billion-dollar app, commit to honing your coding skills and contributing to open-source projects. Though these fundamentals are less glamorous, immersing yourself in them will build your expertise, create opportunities, and help you cultivate a genuine passion for your craft.
Method 2) Be Patient
Next, understand that meaningful progress requires consistent effort and patience. Medcalf explains that improvement often takes the shape of plateaus followed by sudden breakthroughs. Recognizing this pattern helps you stay motivated during periods of apparent stagnation and encourages a more strategic approach to your goals.
For example, say you’re learning a new language. Instead of expecting overnight fluency, know that daily practice and cultural immersion will eventually allow you to hold a full conversation. With this awareness, you’ll find it easier to appreciate small wins, like understanding a new phrase, even when your speaking skills seem to plateau.
Method 3) View Challenges as Opportunities
Finally, reframe obstacles and setbacks as chances to learn and improve. Even with a positive attitude, you’ll inevitably face challenges as you work toward your goals. During these times, Medcalf recommends looking for ways to grow from the experience. This will shift your focus from frustration to problem-solving, allowing you to adapt and make the best of the situation.
For example, if you’re a researcher facing a failed experiment, rather than seeing it as a waste of time or a reflection of your abilities, analyze what went wrong and use your insights to refine your methodology and improve the overall quality of your research.
