Mindset story: Always give it all you got, lessons from the carpenters' last project

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his time with their extended family. He had it all planned out. Of course, he would miss the paycheck, but they could get by and he felt like he needed to retire.

The contractor was sorry to hear that one of his best workers wanted to retire but in the end, he understood him. Before the carpenter would retire the contractor asked him for a personal favor. He asked the carpenter if he could build just one more house by saying “please give it all you got.” The carpenter agreed, but it was clear he was not too happy about the final job and it was easy to see that his heart and head were not in his work. From the very start, the carpenter resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. For a master craftsman like him, it was an unfortunate way to end his career, but that was his decision.

When the carpenter finished his work and the contractor came to inspect the house he asked the carpenter if he is satisfied with the work he has done on this project. The carpenter, of course, said yes as he wanted to be done with it all. The contractor looked in the carpenters’ eyes and handed the front-door key to him. “This is your house,” he said, “it’s my gift to you for all the years we worked together.”

And so the carpenters’ reward was as good as the work he had done.