The Tuition You Didn’t Know You Were Paying for Your Future Success

"You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

— Zig Ziglar

Life’s Education

Your life's handing you an education. The question is, are you paying attention to the lessons? Are you going to take what’s right in front of you, or let it slip by?

I was just sitting here, lost in thought, when my mind wandered back to the summer jobs I had during university. Specifically, I started remembering three tasks I did back then, tasks I loathed at the time. But now? Those tasks are the tuition that shaped my career.

Let me take you back to one of those summers, working in commercial property management.

The Garbage Task

There were two buildings that haunted me. One housed a moving company, the other, a bottled water company. Every week, I'd show up, walk through the parking lot, and there they were, empty boxes and plastic bottles strewn everywhere. It seemed like a never-ending cycle. But here’s the thing: some tasks are just repetitive, frustrating, and unavoidable. You can curse at them, or you can just get on with it and recognize them for what they are. A lesson in persistence.

Painting Pipes in a Boiler Room

Another task I dreaded: painting pipes in the boiler room of three office towers. This wasn’t just any painting gig, it was climbing up and down ladders in a stuffy, airless space with zero supervision. For weeks, I painted, knowing full well that if I dropped dead up there, the most I’d get was a brief moment of silence before someone thought to check in. This taught me the value of checking in with people. It also taught me that the song "Misery" by Soul Asylum should be banned from ever being played again.

Watering Grass with a Fire Hose

The third? Watering newly planted grass with a fire hose in the blistering summer heat. The sprinkler system wasn’t in yet, and someone thought it’d be a good idea to lay down sod first. Every day, I dragged a heavy hose to a fire hydrant, then spent hours watering a patch of grass. When the Sr. VP of Operations showed up for a site inspection, let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled. It taught me one of the most important lessons of all: when managing a project, get the order right. If you’re building something, make sure the sprinklers are in before the grass.

The Lessons are Hidden in Plain Sight

These tasks might have seemed pointless, even soul-sucking, at the time. But in hindsight, they laid the foundation for everything I’ve done since. These were the small, often boring, mind-numbing experiences that, piece by piece, paved the way for bigger opportunities.

Over time, they gave me the skills to negotiate multi-million dollar contracts, manage large budgets, take on complex global roles, and even switch industries; all while adding value wherever I went.

The Tuition

The tuition you’re paying right now might feel unremarkable. But trust me, it’s laying the groundwork for the dream job, the dream role, or the big break you’re hoping for. All those little lessons will add up, and one day, you’ll realize that the work you thought was mundane was actually the key to unlocking that courtside seat you’ve always wanted.

So, how can you start taking full advantage of this “tuition” while you’re still mired in the grind? Here are three tips to help you make the most of it:

1. Flip the script on “boring” tasks

Start looking at your most annoying or repetitive tasks as opportunities for personal growth, not just items to check off. Every small task has a lesson to teach you if you’re paying attention. Get curious. Ask yourself what this task can teach you about efficiency, patience, or even how to communicate better with your team. Changing your mindset from “I have to do this” to “I get to learn from this” can make a huge difference.

2. Find meaning in the mundane

It’s easy to get lost in the details, but try zooming out for a moment. How do your tasks fit into the bigger picture of the company or your personal goals? Maybe you’re answering emails, setting up meetings, or sorting through paperwork, none of which seem very glamorous. But guess what? These are the building blocks of effective leadership. Recognize how each of these “small” steps are part of your larger journey. They matter.

3. Make yourself seen

In those early stages of your career, it’s easy to feel invisible. You’re grinding away, working hard, and no one seems to notice. But trust me, visibility is key. Don’t wait for someone to check in on you, check in on them. Take the initiative to show your work and communicate your progress. This helps you build a reputation as a reliable, self-starting professional who takes ownership of both big and small tasks.

Closing Thought:

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."

— Robert Collier

So pay attention, because you might just be learning everything you need to get where you’re going. The tuition you didn’t sign up for is still the ticket to the future you want, if you’re ready to take it.