Appreciation post: hit 50 clean sweep jobs this month

I just wrapped up my 50th chimney sweep job this month and I honestly didn't see it coming. I started back in early August just doing one or two a week for neighbors in my area outside Portland. Somehow word got around and last week I did 7 in 3 days, which really surprised me. It hit me when I was packing up at a 1920s house on Elm Street that I've actually been learning more on each job than I expected. Has anyone else had a month where the numbers just snuck up on you like that?

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christopher_coleman172mo ago

That garden analogy is cute until you realize my garden is full of soot and dead leaves instead of tomatoes. Guess that's the price of that "steady growth" you mentioned.

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diana_park2mo ago

That line about "numbers just snuck up on you" really hit home. I've noticed this pattern in my own life where small, consistent things suddenly add up before you realize it. It's like when you start a new habit like walking after dinner and before you know it you've covered a hundred miles without ever setting a big goal. There's something almost invisible about slow, steady growth until you turn around and see what you've actually done. Your experience with the chimney sweeping kind of reminds me of how gardens work too you plant a few seeds and then one morning everything's just there.

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