Principles and Practices of Engineering
The life of an engineer is one of practicing principles. Taking what works in theory and applying it to the context of a real-life problem to make real-life impact and change.
In many fields, the PE Licensure is not super imperative to success however, for Civil Engineering it is essential to maintaining forward momentum. Part of this process is taking an exam that requires theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge of working “in the field.”
In other words, to truly be successful in the Engineering field is to apply the principles of engineering in the design and execution of products and projects.
Unless the principles are actively used in design and construction they are just head knowledge and theory. Concepts and ideals that never form into anything more than just conversational fodder.
Only the practiced engineer can tell you how to truly design well as they have learned the greatest lessons that any individual can—the ones taught by experience.
To know that clients can affect the utility of a design, or that principles can be compounded to create unique solutions when limited by uncontrollable factors (i.e.. budget), only come through using the knowledge of the thing to do the thing.
This is why a licensure is so important to the Civil Engineering field because the responsibility to take ownership of roadways, water distribution systems, and even buildings can only come from those who have “put in a few reps.” They can look accurately at a problem, a principle, and a design to see if they work in unity to form a productive solution.
This is necessary in the principles and the philosophies of our lives. That is why the phrase “practice what you preach” exists. For only those who do what they claim to believe really learn how to live a productive and fruitful life.
So, how does one “practice” a “principle?”
By giving it a try.
Testing 1, 2, 3
For most people, the biggest hurdle isn’t the principle itself—it’s the intellectual warfare that starts the moment we think about trying.
Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear of how it will affect daily life.
Our minds are creative enough to turn one small missed habit into a full-blown catastrophe: “If I fail at this, I’ll never get disciplined, I’ll disappoint everyone, and everything will fall apart.”
Maybe that’s especially true for the overthinkers, but the reality underneath it is simpler: practicing will be hard, and practicing will require change.
That’s also why the principle felt valuable in the first place—because it has the power to transform our lives into what we want them to become.
This is the transformative power of the Holy Ghost and the Word in our lives. This is the promise of the new life that Jesus offers to us in the covenant of the Gospel. That is why the principles and the practices are so valuable—they are working together to allow us to walk after the Spirit.
James says that faith without works is dead, for only those who truly believe put action behind their principles to see how they are lived out. Practice is where belief becomes visible.
And honestly, the cycle of engineering design teaches the same thing.
A great engineer I work with says, “The last 30% of your design will eat 90% of your budget.” That’s a voice of experience. Early on, you can improve fast because it’s easier to identify what clearly doesn’t work. But once the big mistakes are gone, you’re left with refinement—making something effective and efficient—and that’s where the work gets expensive.
I think that’s often true when we try to practice the principles of Scripture.
At first it’s easy to see the value and the immediate impact. It’s also easy to notice how not to do it—and to recognize when other people are practicing it poorly (and that comparison and judgement will be discussed at a later time but it kills you in the process of you trying to crucify someone else).
Fewer people stick around long enough to work through the principle until they can actually do it well. That’s where the commitment shows up: budgeting time, waking up earlier, changing routines, facing our excuses.
Practice is work and work requires….well work…it requires effort and action which compound over time into a principled lifestyle.
So let’s talk about how to practice the principles in the context of life’s chaos.
First Try
The mind, as we’ve discussed, can be a brutal beast. And if you practice, you won’t get it right every time.
But failure doesn’t mean the principle is wrong or that you’re disqualified. It often means you just learned something true about the problem you’re trying to solve.
There are a lot of ways to not do something. And one of the only ways to truly learn how to do something is by collecting a lot of lessons about how not to do it.
Here’s what is so amazing: you can be practicing a principle poorly and still be making progress.
C.S. Lewis has a thought exercise about nearness. Imagine you’re on a cliff looking down at a village where your home is. You can see it. You’re near it in one sense. But you can’t climb straight down. So you take the road that winds around the valley. At times you’re walking away from home—yet you’re actually getting closer.
When you start taking steps, you might feel far, but you’re often far nearer to the goal than when you’re only “near” in theory because you understand the principle.
That’s what practice is like.
It is your first try after all. We cannot be overnight experts if we have never attempted it before.
A friend of mine tells a story about a buddy who went golfing with them. He made the bold claim that he would putt with excellent execution because he had watched videos all night long on how to putt perfectly—he did not make his putts.
This story is a perfect example of the power of practicing and the reality of how little value just knowing the principle holds. The two are inextricably connected. You cannot have one without the other, you must have both.
Trying is the first rep. And the first rep is supposed to be imperfect.
So if you try and it doesn’t go smoothly, you haven’t failed—you’ve identified variables that need to be removed, adjusted, or realigned. Keep practicing.
The Proof is in the Priority
One principle most believers know is the principle of spiritual disciplines. It’s familiar in theory, but often limited in execution.
That was true for much of my Christian journey. And honestly it’s still a big part of my focus—because the closer I get to doing it well, the more I notice what needs tweaking. That “last 30%” starts showing up.
I only learned how to read my Bible daily, pray daily, and fast routinely after I started trying to do it in real life.
At first I read consistently for a few days and felt like I was on top of the world. Then I missed a couple days because I overslept, and suddenly I felt like the worst disciple to ever exist. No discipline. No consistency. Like the whole thing was ruined.
My dramatization is a little hyperbolic I know, but it captures something real: if we can’t execute perfectly, we often decide it’s not worth practicing at all.
Over time I found a routine. Then I learned I don’t retain much in the afternoon—so when I read changed. Later I realized my retention wasn’t great—so how I read changed.
None of that came from thinking about the principle of Spiritual Discipline but it came from actual practice.
Practice revealed the variables, allowed me to learn myself, and get better over time.
That’s how it works with most disciplines, habits, and principles. The practice changes as you learn, as contexts shift, and as seasons transition. Variables are always at play.
How to Practice a Principle (Without Quitting)
Here are a few things that have helped me be more consistent in practicing the principles I was trying to live out daily:
So here’s my encouragement, and I pray it’s a blessing: Train your brain to remember you are practicing.
When you begin, you’ll feel like a million bucks. And when you fail—because you will—you can learn how not to practice, just as much as you learn how to practice.
Practice your principles and as is the mantra of this endeavor: you WILL be spiritual.
Let's build together.