Charles Doublet

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How Construction Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know about Integrity in Life

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Building a Life of Integrity:
Lessons from 35 Years in Construction

After 35 years working as a union electrician on projects big and small, industrial jobs, and even large government contracts, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of integrity.

It’s like constructing a building: without a solid foundation and the right materials fitting perfectly together, everything will eventually collapse.

“Living a life of integrity is hard, but living without it is a lot harder.”

The Foundation of Integrity

In construction, the foundation is everything.

If the foundation is weak or poorly built, the entire structure is at risk.

The same goes for life.

Integrity is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

Without it, nothing else stands for long.

When we start a new project, we spend a significant amount of time making sure the foundation is perfect.

We check and double-check our work because we know the stakes.

Similarly, integrity involves doing the right thing even when no one is watching, ensuring your actions align with your values.

It’s about being honest, reliable, and trustworthy.

Building Blocks and Fit

Every part of a construction project needs to fit together perfectly.

Each piece, no matter how small, has its place and purpose.

If a single component is off, it can throw the whole project into jeopardy.

This is true in life as well.

Every decision we make, every action we take, builds on the last one.

As electricians, we understand the importance of precision.

Wires must be connected correctly, circuits must be completed accurately, and safety standards must be met without exception.

One small error can lead to significant problems down the line.

Sometimes even leading to fire trucks being called to your location.

Not a good indicator!

Integrity works the same way.

Each decision you make must fit with your core values.

Compromise on integrity in one area, and it can cause a ripple effect, undermining everything else.

Integrity on the Job Site

On job sites, integrity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

In my experience, those who cut corners or engage in dishonest practices don’t last.

They get laid off as soon as they’re discovered.

I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

There was a guy on one of our big government projects who thought he could get away with doing subpar work to save himself work.

It didn’t take long for the supervisors to catch on.

They wondered why he was installing electrical outlets so quickly.

Until they opened one and discovered he hadn’t landed the wires on the device!

He was gone that very day.

And worse, he was put on the “blacklist.”​

Technically, illegal but it’s there nonetheless because no one wants to hire a guy that is so flagrantly inept.

The project continued without him, but his actions had already caused delays and additional costs.

We had to send a guy back to check every one of his installations, 90% of his work was f’ed up!

Contrast that with the guys who show up on time, do their work right, and are honest about any issues that arise.

These are the ones who last.

They’re the ones who get promoted and are trusted with more responsibility.

Their integrity builds their reputation, and that reputation opens doors.

The Long-Term View

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A view of the Woolsey Fire from MSC-LAX

Living a life of integrity might seem harder in the short term.

It requires discipline, honesty, and sometimes making tough choices.

But in the long run, it pays off.

Just like a well-built structure stands the test of time, a life built on integrity withstands challenges and setbacks.

It was how I was able to go from a wimpy apprentice with absolutely no construction experience to being a forearm on a $1.7B airport project.

I was always challenging myself to do a bit better, learn a little bit more, and tackle more difficult projects.

In construction, we plan for the long term.

We think about how our work will hold up over years, decades, even centuries.

We understand that taking shortcuts might save time and money now, but it will cost much more in the future when things go wrong.

Life is no different.

The choices you make today based on integrity will set the course for your future.

Integrity and Success

I’ve had the privilege of working on some incredible projects over the years.

From massive industrial jobs to important government contracts, success in these ventures was always built on a foundation of integrity.

We were successful because we didn’t cut corners.

We did the job right the first time, and we held ourselves to the highest standards.

The people without integrity, the ones who thought they could get ahead by cheating or lying, never lasted.

They were laid off as soon as their true nature was discovered.

Don’t let these losers be you.

Build your life on the solid foundation of integrity, and you’ll find that success follows.

Practical Tips for Living with Integrity

  • Be Honest: Always tell the truth, even when it’s hard. Honesty builds trust, and trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship, whether personal or professional.

  • Keep Your Promises: If you say you’ll do something, do it. Reliability is a key component of integrity.

  • Do the Right Thing: Even when no one is watching, make the choice that aligns with your values.

  • Admit Mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is how you handle them. Own up to your errors and take steps to correct them.

  • Stay Consistent: Integrity isn’t a one-time thing; it’s a way of life. Make it a habit to act with integrity in every situation.

Conclusion

Living a life of integrity isn’t always easy, but it’s the best way to build a strong, lasting foundation for success.

Just as in construction, where every part must fit together perfectly to create a stable structure, every decision you make should align with your core values.

Remember, integrity is what will allow you to build a life that stands the test of time.

The Hardest Pill I Had to Swallow, But I’m Glad I Did

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The Hardest Pill to Swallow:
You Are the Architect of Your Own Life

Listen up, warriors!

We’ve all been there.

Stuck in a dead-end job, feeling lost in a relationship, or simply unsure where life’s taking us.

In those moments, it’s tempting to look for a savior – a hero who swoops in and fixes everything.

Maybe it’s a dream job offer, a windfall inheritance, or even a magical government program that solves all your problems.

But here’s a truth many are afraid to face:

There is no cavalry coming.

This might sound harsh, but accepting this reality is the first step towards building a life you can truly be proud of.

Imagine a construction worker waiting around for someone to magically do their work for them.

It’s absurd, right?

Just like a building, your life needs to be actively constructed, brick by brick, by you.

Sure, there might be helping hands along the way – supportive friends, a wise mentor, or a lucky break.

But relying on these external forces is a recipe for disappointment.

The power and responsibility to build your own happiness and success lies entirely within you.

Why is this concept so difficult to grasp?

Part of it boils down to a sense of entitlement.

We’re bombarded with messages promising instant gratification, effortless success, and a life of ease.

But this fantasy creates a generation waiting for someone else to do the hard work.

The truth is, fulfillment comes from ownership, from taking responsibility for your journey.

Think about it this way.

Have you ever met a black belt who expects their skills, successes, and expertise to magically materialize without years of sweat and discipline?

Growth requires effort, setbacks are inevitable, and the path to your goals will be paved with challenges.

But by taking ownership, you transform those obstacles into opportunities to learn and grow stronger.

Here’s the good news.

You are already equipped with the tools you need.

  • Discipline fuels your progress, just like the steady rhythm of a hammer pounding nails
  • Determination is your inner compass, guiding you through the storm
  • Passion is the fire in your belly, the reason you wake up each morning ready to build something great.

So how do you unleash these tools and start building your dream life?

  • Embrace the Architect Mindset: Just like any construction project, your life needs a blueprint. What are your core values? What kind of life do you want to lead? Write down your goals, big and small. This is your North Star, your guiding light.
  • Break Down the Walls: Building a skyscraper takes time, one floor at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by your ultimate goal. Instead, break it down into smaller, achievable steps. Finish that online course, volunteer for a cause you care about, network with someone in your dream field. Each accomplishment is a brick laid on the foundation of your success.
  • The Grind is Real: Let’s be honest, construction isn’t easy. There will be days when you want to walk off the site. That’s when discipline kicks in. Remember, success isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll encounter setbacks, but learn from them, adapt, and get back to work.

Taking ownership doesn’t mean going it alone.

  • Seek out mentors who inspire you
  • Build a network of like-minded individuals
  • Find a support system who believes in you

But remember, the responsibility for your journey ultimately rests on your shoulders.

This might seem daunting at first, but here’s the secret.

The power you hold is exhilarating.

You are no longer a passive observer in your own life, but the active architect.

With each step you take, with each challenge you overcome, you build a life that reflects your values, your passions, and your unique strengths.

This is your chance to create a legacy, to build a life that inspires others.

So, ditch the waiting game and grab your metaphorical tools.

The world needs your unique contribution, and the only person holding you back is the one waiting for a savior.

Remember, warrior, you are the hero of your own story.

Start building today.

The 5-Step Process I Used to Accomplish Every Big Goal I Set for Myself

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The “Being a Black Belt Badass Blueprint”:
A 5-Step Action Plan to Achieve All Your Goals

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your goals, unsure where to start or how to stay motivated?

Do you struggle to prioritize tasks and find yourself constantly busy but not necessarily productive?

If so, you’re not alone.

Setting and achieving goals requires a strategic approach, and that’s where the Being a Black Belt Badass Blueprint comes in.

This framework leverages five powerful mental models to transform you from a scattered go-getter into a focused, goal-crushing machine.

The Blueprint for Being a Black Belt Badass

  1. The Five Whys: Uncover Your “Why” for Unwavering Focus

  2. The Five Hows: Break Down Your Goals into Actionable Daily Steps

  3. The 80/20 Rule: Prioritize Ruthlessly for Maximum Impact

  4. The 1% Daily Improvement: Embrace the Power of Small Wins

  5. The Flow Channel: Optimize Your Energy for Peak Performance

Step 1: Unearth Your “Why” with the Five Whys​

Before diving headfirst into action, harness the power of the Five Whys to uncover the core reason behind your goals.

Ask yourself “why” five times (or until you reach a fundamental truth).

​Matryoshka doll – Russian nesting dolls

For example, if your goal is to “get a promotion,” ask yourself:

  • Why do I want a promotion?

  • Because I want more responsibility.

  • Why do I want more responsibility?

  • Because I crave a challenge and want to make a bigger impact.

  • Why do I crave a challenge and impact?

  • Because it brings me a sense of fulfillment and growth.

By uncovering your core value (fulfillment and growth in this example), your goal becomes more than just a title or a raise.

It becomes a pursuit of something deeply meaningful, fueling your motivation and perseverance.

Step 2: Break it Down: The Five Hows to Actionable Steps

With a clear “why” in mind, use the Five Hows to translate your goal into actionable steps.

Take your promotion goal, for instance:

  • How will I get a promotion?

  • By exceeding expectations in my current role.

  • How will I exceed expectations?

  • By consistently delivering high-quality work and taking on additional projects.

  • How will I deliver high-quality work?

  • By developing my skills and mastering key tasks relevant to the promotion.

  • How will I develop my skills?

  • By taking online courses, attending workshops, and seeking mentorship from senior colleagues.

This process breaks down your seemingly insurmountable goal into manageable, daily actions you can integrate into your routine.

Like the Russian, Matryoshka doll, that nest into one another, your daily hows work in the same way, each smaller one supporting the next bigger one.

This along with the Five-Whys helps you to get to the root of any goal you set for yourself.

Step 3: Ruthless Prioritization with the 80/20 Rule

Not all actions are created equal.

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that roughly 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

Apply this principle to your action plan.

Identify the 20% of actions that will yield the most significant progress towards your goal and ruthlessly eliminate or delegate the remaining 80%.

In the promotion example, the 20% might include acquiring a specific skill highly valued by your company or building strong relationships with key decision-makers.

Less impactful activities (the 80%) could involve attending meetings unrelated to your core responsibilities or taking on administrative tasks that others can handle.

​James Clear – The Power of Tiny Gains

Step 4: Embrace the Power of Small Wins: The 1% Daily Improvement

Forget about overnight success.

​The 1% Daily Improvement principle emphasizes the power of small, consistent actions that accumulate over time.

Focus on improving by just 1% each day, whether it’s mastering a new concept, completing a specific task, or simply dedicating focused time to your goal.

This seemingly insignificant progress compounds over time, leading to significant improvements in your skills, knowledge, and ultimately, your progress towards your goal.

In the context of your promotion, consistently dedicating 30 minutes a day to learning a relevant skill translates to over 180 hours of focused learning in a year – a significant investment in your success.

The Flow Channel

Step 5: Find Your Flow with The Flow Channel

This is the essence of Flow State, a concept popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

The Flow Channel refers to aligning your activities with your current energy level and the difficulty of the task at hand.

When creating your daily action plan, consider incorporating tasks that match your energy levels throughout the day.

Schedule demanding tasks for periods of peak alertness and leave more routine tasks for those timeslots where you’re not a ball of fire.

When I Learned That Problems Are Not Always Problems, It Changed My Life

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The Three Battlefields: Endure, Avoid, Attack – How to Conquer Your Problems Like a Master

Life throws punches, that’s a fact.

Problems come in all shapes and sizes, from a leaky faucet to navigating a career change.

But have you ever noticed some problems seem to disappear on their own, while others linger like a bad smell, and some you just can’t wait to tackle?

There’s a reason for that.

Here’s the secret most people miss.

There are actually three types of problems:

  • the ones you endure
  • the ones you avoid
  • the ones you actively seek

Mastering this distinction is the difference between feeling like a ship tossed in a storm and a captain navigating the sea with confidence.

Let’s break down these battlefields, warrior, so you can become the master of your own destiny.

Battlefield 1: The Stoic Warrior – Problems You Endure

Some problems are like bad weather – inevitable and beyond your control.

A loved one gets sick, the market takes a downturn, your car breaks down.

These are the endurance tests of life.

Here, the key is acceptance and stoicism, a philosophy practiced by Roman warriors who learned to control their emotions in the face of hardship.

  • Focus on what you can control: You can’t control the rain, but you can control your reaction. When the inevitable happens, don’t waste energy fighting the storm. Instead, focus on what you can control – your attitude, your actions, and how you choose to respond.
  • Develop mental toughness: Imagine yourself as a seasoned construction worker building through a blizzard. You can’t stop the weather, but you can keep working towards your goal. Develop mental tools like meditation or journaling to build resilience and weather the storm.
  • Find the silver lining: Even in the toughest situations, there’s often a lesson to be learned. Maybe it’s the importance of saving for a rainy day (pun intended) or the strength of your family bonds. Look for the hidden opportunities to grow within the challenge.

Action Steps:

  • Practice mindfulness. Take a few deep breaths in stressful situations.
  • Write down the things you can and can’t control. Focus on the former.
  • Reflect on past challenges. What did you learn from them? How did you overcome them?

Battlefield 2: The Agile Ninja – Problems You Avoid

Some problems are like potholes on the road – easily avoidable with a little foresight.

Maybe it’s a toxic friend who constantly drains your energy or a bad habit that’s holding you back.

These problems are often self-inflicted or stem from poor choices.

Here, the key is prevention and agility.

  • Identify your triggers: Just like a martial artist learns to recognize an opponent’s moves, learn to recognize situations that cause problems. Is it skipping breakfast that leads to afternoon crashes? Are there certain people who drain your energy?
  • Develop preventative measures: Once you identify the triggers, set up roadblocks. Avoid those people, carry snacks to avoid energy dips, or unsubscribe from tempting online shopping websites.
  • Learn from past mistakes: We all make them. The key is to analyze them and develop strategies to avoid repeating them. Did your impulsiveness lead to a bad financial decision? Maybe set up automatic transfers to savings or use a budgeting app.

Action Steps:

  • Make a list of problems you consistently face.
  • Identify the triggers that lead to those problems.
  • Develop and implement strategies to avoid those triggers.

Battlefield 3: The Relentless Samurai – Problems You Seek

Finally, there are problems that aren’t problems at all, but rather challenges waiting to be conquered.

These are opportunities for growth, adventures waiting to unfold.

Maybe it’s learning a new skill, starting your own business, or asking someone out on a date.

Here, the key is initiative and relentless pursuit.

  • Embrace discomfort: Growth occurs outside your comfort zone. Don’t shy away from challenges – that’s where the true rewards lie.
  • Set ambitious goals: Like a skilled martial artist who constantly seeks to improve, set ambitious goals that push you to become the best version of yourself.
  • Take action, every day: Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment. Take small, consistent steps towards your goals every single day. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Action Steps:

  • List down 3 challenges you want to conquer (learning a new language, running a marathon, etc.).
  • Break down each challenge into smaller achievable milestones.
  • Schedule daily actions that lead you toward your goals.

Remember, warrior, mastering these battlefields is a lifelong journey.

There will be setbacks, that’s life.

The difference is that warriors and leaders do not let the setbacks set them back, they use them to spring forward to new heights.

How I Got Burned by “Burning the Boats”

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Don’t Box Yourself In:
Keeping Your Options Open for Success

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a dead end, like every choice you make leads you to a brick wall?

You’re not alone.

Tons of guys get caught in this trap – they make a decision, chase a dream, and then – bam!

Something unexpected throws a wrench in the plan.

Suddenly, they’re feeling like they’re stuck, with no way out.

Why “Burning the Boats” is Foolish

That self-improvement stuff about “burning the boats” sounds good in theory, right?

Like forcing yourself to commit fully, all or nothing.

But here’s the thing, that strategy only works in the movies – or for those ridiculously lucky few.

In the real world, things rarely go according to a perfect script.

Let’s face it, there’s a paradoxical reason successful leaders are both cautious and willing to take risks.

They understand that calculated risks can lead to incredible rewards, but they’re also smart enough not to gamble on a single coin toss with their entire future.

How I Literally Got Burned By Burning the Boats

Look, I’ve been there.

Like that time I was working the graveyard shift, replacing lights in a hospital (talk about creepy!).

We were supposed to be swapping out old fixtures for new, energy-efficient ones.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

It was like something out of a Tom Clancy movie.

Burns from the ceiling wire rubbing along my arm

A series of tiny mistakes snowballed into a life-threatening accident.

Starting with a mislabeled box, then a faulty reading on my induction tester, then boom!

I get caught in a 277-volt live wire situation.

The worst part?

I was stuck on the ladder, couldn’t step off because of a sprinkler line against my back holding me to the ladder.

And the electricity was coursing right through my chest, a worst-case scenario for messing up my heart.

Not exactly my proudest moment.

But you know what saved me?

Not blind commitment, but a little flexibility.

I realized I couldn’t stay there, so I took a calculated risk – I let my legs buckle and I tumbled down the 10′ ladder.

It wasn’t graceful, but it got me out of that situation alive.

Luckily all I had was a few surface burns on my fingers and arms, no internal injuries.

There’s a Better Way

Here’s the thing, getting caught in a corner doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

It’s a chance to learn, adapt, and find a new path.

Here’s how to keep your options open and avoid feeling trapped:

  • Know Your Goals: Feeling lost? Get clear on your big picture. What do you truly want to achieve? Having a clear vision helps you make decisions that move you in the right direction, even when things get messy.

  • Embrace the Side Hustle: Maybe your current job isn’t your dream gig, but that doesn’t mean you have to quit cold turkey. Start a side hustle to explore your interests and build new skills. You never know, it might turn into your next big thing.

  • Develop a “Plan B” (or C, or D!): Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Having a backup plan (or several) gives you peace of mind and keeps your options open.

  • ​Learn to Say No: Don’t feel pressured to commit to things that don’t align with your goals. Saying “no” creates space for the right opportunities to come along.

  • Celebrate Small Wins: Building a successful life is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks. Focus on celebrating your small wins – every step forward counts.

Look, there will be times when things don’t go according to plan.

That’s life.

But by keeping your options open and learning to adapt, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the unexpected and keep moving forward towards your dreams.

Remember, you’re not stuck in a dead end – you’re standing at a crossroads.

Choose wisely, but don’t be afraid to take a detour if the road ahead looks rough.