Digging the Dirt: How 30 Years as a Heavy Equipment Operator Taught Me to Rebuild My Life
Have you ever worked the exact same career for decades, only to realize the task you perform day-in and day-out holds the exact secret you need to change your life?
For thirty years, I’ve spent my days in the seat of a bulldozer and an excavator. My job is simple to explain but hard to execute: it’s groundwork. It’s clearing the land, digging into the dirt, and doing the heavy, unseen work required before a permanent structure can stand. If you build on unlevel ground, the structure will eventually cave in.
Yet, for the first fifty years of my life, I lived by trying to build a roof without ever pouring a foundation. I ran for nearly 47 years, chasing unreachables and leaning on bad habits.
It wasn't until I looked at the dirt in front of my blade that I realized the blueprint to my own freedom, health, and sobriety was already right beneath me.
Here is how you can use the principle of groundwork to level your life and build a structure that lasts.
1. Get the "Bubble in Your Butt" (Find Your Balance)
In the dirt work industry, experienced operators have a niche—a feel for the machine. You can literally feel it in your seat if the ground is level or not, down to a tenth of an inch. We need that same internal gauge for our daily routines. When your lifestyle, nutrition, or habits are out of alignment, you can feel the instability. Recognizing that imbalance is the first step toward leveling the ground.
2. Trust the Neuroplasticity of the Steering Wheel
When you practice a routine long enough, it becomes automatic. In my six-year walk through sobriety, lifting weights four days a week, and dialling in nutrition, the biggest battle was initially just getting there. But by consistently forcing the "steering wheel" of my mind to turn toward the gym instead of home after a hard day's work, I built a new path. Small wins create self-trust. Eventually, the routine takes over, and you don't have to think about it anymore—the foundation is set.
3. Aim for Functional Health, Not Perfection
If you are 5'1", you are probably never going to be an NBA basketball player. We have to come to terms with reality and set goals bigger than our egos. As we age, the ultimate goal isn't lifting massive weights to show off; it's functional health. Can you move? Can you get up and down out of a chair, a bed, a vehicle, or the shower? Can you climb a ladder to work on your house? True strength is about maintaining the balance and mobility required to live fully.
4. Remember: The Groundwork is Free
Getting started on your health journey can feel completely overwhelming. The internet is flooded with information about calorie deficits, protein targets, supplements, and expensive gym memberships. But just like a pro athlete spends a lifetime practicing the basics before the big game, you have to start with the basics.
And the basics are free. You don't need a gym membership to start moving your body. You can master your own body weight right at home with wall squats and simple movements.
Clear the Land Today
Stop trying to build a superstructure on shifting dirt. Clear the land, dig in, and start doing the hard, unseen daily work. Pour a solid foundation of nutrition, functional movement, and daily promises to yourself. Once the ground is level, whatever you choose to build next will stand the test of time.
What does the groundwork look like in your life today? Are you building a roof, or are you pouring a foundation? Let me know in the comments below, and let's get to work.
