A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard

Today, I want to talk about a short but powerful piece of writing that’s over 100 years old but feels like it was written yesterday. It’s called A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard.

And it’s not about hustle culture or some “think about money and it will magically come into your pocket” kinda book. No. This is raw. It’s practical. And it’s a direct punch to the gut about responsibility, grit, and doing the work.

Hubbard writes:
"It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: Do the thing."

Text TThe sad truth? Most people don’t.

It was a problem back in Hubbard’s time, but it’s even worse now. We live in an age of instant gratification. Where we expect likes, shares, and overnight results. Craftsmanship is dead.

We outsource thinking to ChatGPT. Friendships are digital. We ignore the person sitting next to us while desperately trying to get attention from strangers online.

And when life gets hard? We don’t toughen up. We self-diagnose and medicate. Depression. ADHD. Anxiety. Instead of grit and tenacity, we label, we medicate, and we give up responsibility.

But let me get back to Hubbard’s message—because it’s powerful.

He basically says:
Most people don’t want to do the work. They want the result. They want the prize without the effort. And worse, they delay. Instead of acting, they ask 100 irrelevant questions. They pass the buck. They hope someone else will do it.

Sound familiar?

And then Hubbard asks the big one:ext

It reminds me of that old joke—you know the one:

There was a job that anybody could do. But since everybody thought somebody else would do it, nobody did it.

That’s our world today.

So here’s the real question for you:

• When you’re given a task, do you focus and deliver?

• Or do you procrastinate, get distracted, and hope it goes away?

• Can you be trusted to handle things independently? Or do you need to be babysat like a child?

So—do you practice integrity?

Or do you cut corners when no one’s around?

And what about feedback?

• Are you coachable?

• Do you accept correction so you can grow and do better?

• Or do you get defensive and argue?

These are the questions Hubbard is forcing us to wrestle with.

Hubbard closes with a reality check.

He says:

Translation: stop romanticizing struggle. The world is crying out for men and women who will do their jobs—honorably, diligently, without whining, and without stirring unnecessary trouble.

Do the job.

Deliver results.

You will be valued.

You will rise.

That’s it.

Honestly, this wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be another “new-agey, just think about success and it’ll fall into your lap” kinda book.

But no. It’s practical. It’s about grit.

Hubbard spends less than 10% of the book telling the story of delivering a message to Garcia… and 90% dropping pure gold on how to overcome procrastination and just get things done.

Get things done.
Deliver the message to Garcia.
Do it now. Do it well. Do it quick.

If you want to take this further, I’ve created a free workbook that takes the lessons from A Message to Garcia and helps you apply them step by step—whether it’s in your business, your career, or your daily life.

It’s practical. It’s actionable.

And it will help you build confidence through results.

Download the associated Workbook—your step-by-step guide

to applying the best business lessons, building confidence through results, and creating a business that works for you.

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