Have you ever seen someone split a giant rock? Watch this video to get an idea of the process with a small-sized rock.

You can’t just split a dense rock with one blow, especially if you want it to be a particular shape. Brute force will shatter the outside and not break it along any lines. Instead, you have to make a plan and execute it. 

You have to prime the stone for the shape you want. Even then, there are only countless strikes that result in the final break along the fault line. 

Maybe you have some goals for yourself personally or professionally, and it just feels like they are never going to come to be. Perhaps you are a parent, and no matter what you try, your kids still forget to say please and thank you. We are much more like the stonecutter than we wish we were. 

In a microwave, same-day shipping culture, we want results fast. But the most important goals are like an impenetrable piece of granite, not a lump of make-anything-you-want playdough. You have to keep chipping away to see the results you want. 

Some days, it will feel like nothing has changed at all, but the lines are moving under the surface. In other words, it takes a bit of faith and trust that, generally, our efforts are rewarded. Keep lighting tiny sparks in your world, but also continue to chip away even if your movement doesn’t spread like wildfire – eventually, patience and persistence will pay off.