Do the Work. Do It Properly.
Read on kevferrell.com
Welcome to REWIRE | REBOOT, a weekly newsletter where I share reflections from my ongoing personal growth journey and provide tested ideas, frameworks, tools and practices to help you create the life you want.
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In this issue:
- Rewire - Guiding Principles
- One Action - Do What You Said You Would Do
- Reboot - Form Is the Foundation
Rewire - Idea I'm Exploring
Guiding Principles
Recently, someone I’ve never met reached out with a simple question:
“I'm soon to graduate. I was wondering if you have any career guidance or guiding principles that you could share with me. Were there any lessons that shaped you in your life?”
I appreciated the question and the opportunity to reflect and answer thoughtfully.
These are the 8 principles I shared.
They’re based on lived experience. Some ingrained. Some learned early. Others learned the hard way.
They apply at the start of a career, but just as much at any other stage. And not just in work, but in life more broadly.
I'll be doing a deeper dive on several of these in the future. If there's one you'd like me to write about in an upcoming issue, let me know.
Just reply to this email.
1. Discipline
Do what needs to be done – especially when you don’t feel like it.
Motivation is unreliable. It comes and goes. Discipline is what remains.
You won’t always enjoy the work. You won’t always feel inspired. That’s not a signal to stop. It’s part of the process.
Early in my career, I took the approach that there was nothing I should be saying “this isn’t my job” to.
If something needed to be done, I did it.
That mindset carried through everything. From my early roles to owning restaurants, where that meant cleaning toilets or mopping floors if that’s what was required.
I have strived to instill this mindset in my teams over the years.
2. Consistency
Keep showing up.
I showed up. On time. Every day. Rarely missed.
That doesn’t sound exceptional, but over time, it is.
There’s a real advantage in being the person who is simply there, doing the work, day after day.
Talent varies. Opportunity is unpredictable. Circumstances change.
Consistency compounds.
Never bet against the person who always shows up, even in the face of adversity or uncertainty.
3. Follow Through
Do what you say you’re going to do – when you said you would do it.
Reliability is one of the most underrated career advantages.
Early on, you’re not being judged just on intelligence or potential. You’re also being judged on whether you can be counted on.
I remember periods early in my career where that meant long nights – even a few all-nighters (I don’t recommend this) – finishing what I committed to long after everyone else had gone home.
It wasn’t about optics. It was about delivering on my commitment and building a reputation as a reliable person.
That approach led directly to bonuses, promotions, and new career opportunities.
People remember who delivers. And over time, that reputation opens doors.
4. Listen More Than You Speak
Most people talk more than they listen.
You don’t need to fill the space.
People often feel pressure early in their career to prove themselves by speaking often.
In most cases, it’s more effective to listen.
Pay attention
Process what’s being said
Take a moment before responding.
When you speak with intention — only when you have something useful to add — people pay attention.
Don’t say more than needs to be said.
5. Don’t Fear Failure
Move toward what’s difficult. Stretch out of your comfort zone. Take calculated risks.
I’ve failed more than once. At one point, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy and having to work through a significant amount of debt.
I don’t regret that experience.
What I learned going through it shaped how I approached business and decision-making going forward, directly contributing to later successes.
Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s often a prerequisite.
If you avoid it entirely, you limit what you’re capable of achieving.
6. Stop Worrying About What Others Think
Focus on what’s within your control.
What other people do, think, or say is not within your control.
You don’t need everyone to like you. They won’t. And that’s fine.
This is one I wish I had learned earlier than I did.
At one point, I made a conscious decision to Give Less F’s. To care less about what others might be thinking or saying.
Not in a reckless way. In a focused way.
Control what you can control. Let go of the rest.
Letting go of that weight was one of the most freeing shifts I’ve ever experienced. It allowed for clearer thinking, better decisions, and a lot less rumination on things that don’t matter.
7. Bring Solutions
Don’t stop at identifying problems.
Anyone can point out what’s not working. That’s easy.
What’s valuable is coming forward with options.
Early on, I started approaching issues differently:
- Outline the problem
- Lay out the alternatives
- Make a recommendation
More often than not, the response was: “Let’s go with your recommendation.”
It removed unnecessary back-and-forth and built trust quickly.
On the other side of the table, I value this even more.
8. Never Stop Learning
Treat learning as part of your daily work.
The people who progress are the ones who stay curious.
Read. A lot.
Observe.
Ask questions.
Pay attention to how others operate.
And be willing to change your mind when better information presents itself.
Learning isn’t something you do early in your career and then move on from.
It’s the through-line.
Final Thought
None of these are complicated.
But they’re not easy either.
Most people know them. Fewer consistently apply them.
That’s where the separation happens.
One Action
Do What You Said You Would Do
Identify one thing you’ve said you would do, but haven’t fully delivered on.
Finish it.
Build the reputation.
Reboot - Health & Longevity
Form Is the Foundation
Discipline, consistency and follow-through matter in the gym too. But only if they’re applied in the right way.
Because when it comes to training, there’s a mistake a lot of people make early on:
They optimize for weight moved, not how it’s moved.
That used to be me.
The Lesson I Learned Late
One of the guiding principles I wish I had learned earlier:
Proper form and technique matter more than the amount of weight you lift.
When I was younger, I cared about one thing — moving as much weight as possible.
Form and technique were secondary. Sometimes nonexistent.
I was effectively mortgaging my long-term structural health for short-term numbers and ego.
Pushing through pain.
Using poor mechanics.
Putting unnecessary stress on my joints and spine.
And it caught up with me.
Injuries gradually forced a correction.
I Was Told. I Didn’t Listen.
I still remember when I was 17, training in the local gym inside a racquet club.
There were many older, experienced lifters around. One of them was a giant of a man, Pat Comeau, a police officer who was probably 6’5” and over 300lbs. An absolute unit.
He had just walked in and was watching me squat 315 lbs with bad technique.
He walked over and said, “Let me show you how to do it properly.”
He unracked the weight cold, dropped into a perfect ass-to-ankles squat, paused and then just stood it back up like it was nothing.
It was a masterclass in technique. And I was blown away that he could do that without warming up.
But did I listen?
Not really.
I went right back to squatting too heavy, with poor form. Eventually I ended up with a back injury that would take me many months to resolve.
The Shift
Over time, I’ve completely reversed my approach.
Now:
- Form comes first
- Load is secondary
- Pain is a signal – not something to push through blindly
Ironically, when your technique improves, you often become stronger anyway.
More efficient movement.
Better muscle recruitment.
Less wasted energy.
The Way I See It Now
The goal isn’t just to be strong now. It’s to remain strong, pain-free, and resilient for decades from now.
- Technique is the foundation of performance and longevity
- Injury risk rises exponentially when load exceeds movement quality
- Strength built on poor mechanics is unstable and eventually breaks down
That requires thinking differently about training.
Passing It On
When my son started training, I made sure he didn’t repeat my mistakes.
Before adding weight I had him focusing on bodyweight exercises first.
If you can't do proper sets of full squats, lunges, pushups or pullups with bodyweight then you don't need to add load.
You don’t earn the right to add load until you can control the movement.
If you can’t control your body, you have no business adding load to it.
When he entered team and school training environments, I saw the same issue everywhere.
Groups of young athletes being given programs with little to no attention to form or technique.
That’s a problem.
Because poor movement patterns, once ingrained, are hard to undo. Strength imbalances and injuries will develop.
I trained my son on the proper technique for each exercise and corrected the bad habits he learned in group training sessions.
The result? He could lift more weight using proper technique.
If you’re a parent, this is one area worth being proactive about.
The Reality Most People Miss
This isn’t just about beginners. I see it at all levels. I was an experienced lifter before I finally figured it out.
I also often see personal trainers who overlook form entirely.
Clients going through the motions. Carrying on conversations mid-set. Treating training as background activity.
There are excellent coaches out there. But there are also many who are simply facilitating movement. Not improving or optimizing it.
A Simple Framework
If you’re starting out:
- Master bodyweight first
- Progress slowly with basic exercises and increasing load
- Prioritize form and technique over load
If you’re a young athlete or a parent of one:
- Get proper instruction early
- Don’t assume team environments will teach technique
- Build the foundation before chasing performance
If you’ve been training for years:
- If you’re dealing with recurring pain or injury, it’s not random
- Reassess your movement patterns
Consider working with someone qualified to evaluate how you move:
- A strength & conditioning coach
- A kinesiologist or physiotherapist with a focus on movement
- A biomechanist or movement specialist
Staying in the Game
The goal isn’t just to train.
It’s to keep training.
Staying in the game and avoiding injury is the most important factor for longevity in sport and life.
Especially as you get older, because the cost of getting it wrong increases:
- Greater risk of chronic issues or major injuries
- Longer recovery times
- Less margin for error
You don’t have the luxury of time to deal with coming back from serious injuries.
Inspirational Quote
You’ve probably heard this common saying: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”
A better way to think about it:
“How you do the work is the work.”
Recommended - What I'm Reading
Built From Broken
Built From Broken - A science-based guide to healing painful joints, preventing injuries, and rebuilding your body, by Scott Hogan, CPT, COES
A practical guide to training for durability, not just performance. Focuses on joint health, proper movement, and rebuilding strength the right way.
If you’ve dealt with injuries, or want to avoid them, this is an easy read and well worth your time.
Readers Corner
Ask Me Anything
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Until next week,
Kevin
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