Dig a hole first. Figure it out later.

1:49pm
Saint Paul

Ever heard of the Blackstone Grill?

It’s a flat-top griddle, like you would find in a cafe staffed by a short-order cook and an overworked server or two.

When you cook a burger on the Blackstone?

Heaven.

My father-in-law has a Blackstone.

My brother has a Blackstone.

And now… we have a Blackstone.

But at 36″ wide—just the cooking surface—it wasn’t something I wanted to wheel in and out of the garage with every use.

So this past weekend… not really knowing what I was doing… I dug a big hole to make a brick-and-rock patio for the Blackstone.

Now my Blackstone sits on its new patio, waiting for the hours-long seasoning process before I can even start to cook on it.

What’s the purpose of me telling you this, you ask?

Two-fold.

A, get started on your next project. Even if you’re not 100% sure how it’ll turn out. Just start digging in.

Amazingly enough, my patio is level. The Blackstone is level. So it worked out. And if it didn’t work out, I could keep trying until I got it right.

And 2, the rewards of my effort are still a ways into the future. I have to season the grill with 500° heat, oil it, burn off the oil, and let it cool.

And then do that 4 more times. It might be a week before I finish.

But all that up-front effort is gonna get me that heavenly hamburger.

What project are you putting off?

Write back, let me know. I can’t say I’ll have a solution for your next step—though I might. But I’ll read your email as a listening ear (eye).

And you, just by writing it out, might gain some clarity on your own next step.

Remember—you don’t need anyone’s permission to create something new.