From Zero to Lawn Hero

Remember that old GIF/meme from “The Waterboy” where Rob Schneider cheers on Bobby Boucher, the underdog college football player played by Adam Sandler? Well, you can do it too — and you might even surprise yourself along the way.

The dream of homeownership looks beautiful on Zillow and in real estate TV ads, but it also comes with many unexpected challenges. When you’ve been renting for a long time, most problems can be solved by calling your super or landlord. But when you own a home, there’s no one to call. Well, technically, you can call someone — but it’s going to cost you.

I had never cared for a lawn in my entire life, so the idea of taking care of a living organism caused me a bit of anxiety. The first thing I needed was a lawn mower. It turns out there are lots of them. After hours of searching, I found the perfect one, thanks to a review from a woman who wrote, “I’m an 80-year-old woman who lives alone and needed a mower that I could easily use to trim my lawn.” Sign me up, Home Depot!

That’s it, right? Nope. 

It turns out it’s quite warm in Charleston, South Carolina, and grass needs water — lots of it. So, I paid an “asshole” to install an irrigation system. Now, I’m lovingly calling him an “asshole” because he is one. During the installation, his crew cut the power line between the house and garage and “fixed” it with duct tape. That didn’t work, so I had to call an electrician to fix it. But on the bright side, I had irrigation.

That’s it, right? Nope. 

Apparently, besides water and sun, grass needs nutrients and chemicals to help it grow throughout the year. So I called up a guy who runs a local lawn maintenance company to handle that monthly.

That’s it, right? Nope. 

His treatment plan didn’t work, and my lawn looked worse than my neighbors’, who didn’t have irrigation systems or lawn maintenance guys.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. My wife doubted I could handle it, but I said to myself, “You can do it!” I joined Reddit groups for Centipede Grass Lawn Owners (yes, there’s a subreddit for everything), watched YouTube videos, and consulted some older and wiser neighbors with more lawn experience.

That’s it, right? Yep. 

I did it. Outside of my wife and dog, my lawn is my greatest achievement. I’m not saying it looks like Yankee Stadium or Augusta National, but my grass is green and gorgeous.

And that’s the thing: I DID IT. Sure, it took a lot of help, but at the end of the day, it was all me. And you can do it too.

If you don’t believe this college dropout, maybe take it from K. Anders Ericsson — a psychologist renowned for his research on expertise and human performance. His work focused on the concept of deliberate practice as a crucial factor in achieving expert performance across various domains.

In 1993, Ericsson co-authored a paper that introduced deliberate practice as a structured and purposeful approach to skill improvement. Unlike regular practice, deliberate practice involves activities specifically designed to improve performance and requires high levels of concentration and effort beyond one’s comfort zone.

It suggests that expert performance results from prolonged efforts to improve while navigating motivational and external constraints. It emphasizes that individual differences in performance are closely related to the amount of deliberate practice rather than innate talent. His work challenged old views that emphasized natural talent, proposing instead that systematic and focused practice could lead to high levels of skill.

In the end, whether you’re tackling homeownership challenges or pursuing any other daunting task, remember that perseverance and a willingness to learn can lead to success. Embrace the journey, seek out resources, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way.

Just like I transformed my lawn into a lush oasis, you too can achieve your goals with determination and effort. So go ahead — take that first step, and remind yourself: You can do it!