In this week’s “Inside LEGO Masters” article, Tim Croll gets personal and shares some of the life lessons he’s learned through his time on the show—and how they apply to more than just LEGO building.

“Wow! Is this real? Are we actually on the set of LEGO Masters and ready to start competing at the highest level to build with LEGO!?” We marveled at the thought. But the reality is that there are hundreds if not thousands of incredible builders throughout the world. My son Zach and I have just had the opportunity to compete on the greatest reality competition show of all time. It was truly an adventure—one that fulfilled one of our ultimate bucket list checkmarks.

Our adventure into the love of LEGO started off in two very different ways. Zach started building at a young age, at 3 or 4 years old, when he began to steal his older brother’s LEGO parts. As parents, we attempted to keep the small pieces out of the hands of our toddler but alas, there was no holding back his technical ability and insatiable desire to build. By the time Zach was 10, he already started showing his independence by refusing Dad’s help to put together sets! (The horror!) He wanted to build on his own without help from his parents. The next leap came over the next 5 to 7 years when he started building MOCs. It was at this time that the impressive artist side along with the technical know-how began to really shine through.

My LEGO journey as a dad started out as a way to connect with Zach. Each of my children is very different with many diverse hobbies. While my wife Melissa and I had always wanted to be involved with our children’s lives, we didn’t know then how far this commitment would take us. Both of my boys love adventure and seeing the way nature comes alive, though they each display it in different ways. Zach is more creative with LEGO than his brother Micah ever was, and that passion of Zach’s lead me to want to share it with him. We began building a few small things together and spending time with each other playing with LEGO, but it got serious when we found out about Brickworld. Our first LEGO fan event was in Chicago where we displayed an entire castle scene. Little did we know that experience was only the beginning of an awesome adventure.

Originally, we applied for the first season of LEGO Masters but due to age requirements (Zach was 17 at the time), we had to wait until Season 2 when Zach was 18. The adventure was full of hurry-up and wait moments while we walked through the application process. Ultimately, it was worth the challenges that we had to overcome just to get to the production. I guess LEGO building can be that way too. Sometimes inspiration comes fast. Sometimes your thoughts have to stew. Sometimes you want to build something quickly but have to wait for that next BrickLink order. Hurry up and wait!

I see this “LEGO lesson” in my business life as well. Approaching a new MOC (or being tasked with a seemingly impossible challenge by a Brickmaster), both take planning and a proper mindset. How you approach a challenge is almost as important as how you face it. For work, I consult with many companies, helping them analyze exactly what their challenges are and then creating a plan that will allow them to grow both in their business goals as well as in their personal lives. We all face challenges, personal or corporate. Some are more difficult than others. Some challenges might seem too hard to handle at the offset and we don’t think we are ready, but life has placed them in front of us to overcome. And overcome we shall!

So what did I learn on LEGO Masters that can be applied to the world at large? Here are a few motivational LEGO life lessons.

Prepare

Every adventure we embark on has its own set of challenges. But taking time to prepare can make all the difference. Stepping into LEGO Masters, there were several skills that we knew would come in handy ahead of time—such as the ability to combine creativity with technical ability to fashion MOCs into art that tells a story. The very first challenge of incorporating motion was new to us so we got to put out preparations into action. We split the building task, with Zach focused on getting the motion to work while I worked on the scene layout.

Another thing we discovered was how to learn from our mistakes, and letting that knowledge help us prepare for whatever came next. Zach and I have found that practiced failure has been critical for self-discovery. Often we find that we didn’t know what we could do until we failed a few times at building our next favorite scene. Focused research has also been part of our preparation. For LEGO Masters, that meant watching other competitors. There is so much to learn from others that have experienced their own practiced failure. When you combine your practiced failure experience with the observation of other builders, it will prepare you for your great adventure—whether that be to the next LEGO challenge or to get over the next hurdle life puts in your way.

Mindset

In reality, it is impossible to prepare for every possible scenario that we will face during our adventures—LEGO or otherwise. In these cases, mindset is the key I’ve found to overcoming circumstances and scenarios that were unknown. Each episode of LEGO Masters had its own set of challenges—some that were completely unexpected and some that had a twist after we were well into the challenge. Having the right mindset allowed us to adjust to challenges that were a surprise. We could have been frustrated and defiant or we could try to see the challenge as an opportunity to try something new. A strong mindset is a way of approaching any adventure that gives us confidence that, no matter what we face either expected or unexpected, we could overcome and push through.

This was especially true as we entered into Episode 2 on LEGO Masters and had to make our build explode. We had a well-thought-out plan—and that plan worked 80% to perfection! One wall didn’t fall down which created a gap in our storyline. At the time of airing, there were many questions about how it felt to have high hopes and then be let down by the reality of the presentation. This is where your mindset kicks in. We did the very best we could, putting in 110% effort with the time we had considering the LEGO pieces available and the parameters in which we had to build. Some factors were outside our control. Rather than focus on what we could not control, we focused on what was within our power to achieve. We have no regrets about what we built and how we built it, and we are so proud of our accomplishments.

Create Your Story

Very few people stop to realize the adventure they are in and the ability they have to create their own story. Instead, they choose to accept the narrative that others push on them. Each of us has a superpower that is within us—a special power that only comes out under the pressure of an adventure. In LEGO Masters, telling a story was important, but creating your own life story is essential. We all have the choice to embrace our superpower and show the world how awesome we are—or we can merely accept someone else’s narrative.

For a long time, I chose to ignore my internal compass. I listened too long to what others said I should do including where to be educated, what type of job to have, where to live, and how to live. Frankly, it was killing me. At the end of 2016, I experienced a breakdown of sorts. I pushed myself to utter exhaustion attempting to follow someone else’s storyline for my life. It was at that point I made a decision that would forever allow me to craft my own adventure story. I choose to step out and work for myself and embrace my passion for helping others grow. LEGO helped me do that by being the physical manifestation of creating your own story, brick by brick. LEGO Masters just drove the point home as we were creating our own stories while rising to the challenge of the week.

So what happens next? Well, take the next step on your adventure, whatever that might be! Apply for LEGO Masters Season 3, learn how to make things move, or go tackle that Technic bin. Share those dreams (or future MOC plans) that you have been keeping to yourself and let’s start chasing them, no matter how big. From life to LEGO, when you embrace your adventure, you will leave a legacy of greatness. So what will your story be?

What motivates you to tackle a new MOC or challenge? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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