I had a great talk with my dear friend Elizabeth last night about the ways in which we get overwhelmed by projects. There is nothing like a good friend to bring you back to center, and Elizabeth is no exception.
Over the past 8 months I’ve been a pro at starting home projects but not finishing them. I start a big project only to get sidetracked on another related project and neither gets done so I start another one just to change course. “E’, as I call her, pointed out that each time we switch a project midway we reward ourselves with satisfaction we did not earn.
In order to truly find a sense of accomplishment it requires a mind over matter approach.
After our conversation I agreed to go to through each room and outside the house where I had started a project and make a list of every incomplete job I had. I was shocked.
As of today there are 7 handwritten pages listing out what needs to be accomplished with my house. They do not include projects that I was hoping to start, but only ones I started but walked away from.
So it starts today. No new projects without the careful consideration of that list.
I know there are many people who have a list like this. If we clear our lives of the old, finishing tasks that are our “life clutter”, we can really free up that mind space for the tasks that require our full mental energy.
Next time you see me, ask me about my list. You may see a different side of me as things get crossed from those 7 pages.
