from Verse One Hundred Forty-NineWhen works are streamlined, they are easy to accomplish. When business is simplified, it is easy to manage. When demands are minimized, they are easy to fulfill.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
Most of us, at one time or another, falls victim to procrastination. The task before us seems so great or complex that we put it off for another day and another time. Of course, by doing this, we often turn molehills into mountains.
What we lose sight of is that, even the most complex and difficult tasks, can be broken down into their constituent parts. For example, if your job is to build a house, you might never commence work if you consider all the various elements needed to do the job. By focusing solely on the ends, the means appear to be too much.
However, if you focus on hammering the first nail and then the next and then the next, each success builds upon the previous one. Before you know it, you're making good progress.
When I was a young lad, like many young people, I mowed lawns to earn pocket money. Several of the properties I was contracted to mow were quite large! Sometimes, as I gazed out at these palatial estates, I had a great deal of difficulty motivating myself to start up the lawnmower. "I'm going to be out here all day sweating in the hot sun," I'd whine.
The way I got around my initial inertia was to play a game with my mind. I would section of the yard in my head. "I'll just do the north side for now," I'd tell myself. "I'll take a break after that." More often than not, I would finish the north side in good time and decide to do the south side before taking a breather. Of course, when I finished the south side, I then would decide I could start on the east side. Before I knew it, I had finished the job!
Even within each section, I would focus my attention on the row of grass I was currently mowing. By not focusing on subsequent rows, I provided myself with doable goals. As each goal was accomplished, it was easy to move to the next small goal. In time, all of these small goals added up to the final objective -- mowing the entire property.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
What we lose sight of is that, even the most complex and difficult tasks, can be broken down into their constituent parts. For example, if your job is to build a house, you might never commence work if you consider all the various elements needed to do the job. By focusing solely on the ends, the means appear to be too much.
However, if you focus on hammering the first nail and then the next and then the next, each success builds upon the previous one. Before you know it, you're making good progress.
When I was a young lad, like many young people, I mowed lawns to earn pocket money. Several of the properties I was contracted to mow were quite large! Sometimes, as I gazed out at these palatial estates, I had a great deal of difficulty motivating myself to start up the lawnmower. "I'm going to be out here all day sweating in the hot sun," I'd whine.
The way I got around my initial inertia was to play a game with my mind. I would section of the yard in my head. "I'll just do the north side for now," I'd tell myself. "I'll take a break after that." More often than not, I would finish the north side in good time and decide to do the south side before taking a breather. Of course, when I finished the south side, I then would decide I could start on the east side. Before I knew it, I had finished the job!
Even within each section, I would focus my attention on the row of grass I was currently mowing. By not focusing on subsequent rows, I provided myself with doable goals. As each goal was accomplished, it was easy to move to the next small goal. In time, all of these small goals added up to the final objective -- mowing the entire property.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
"What looks large from a distance,
ReplyDeleteclose up ain't never that big."
-- Bob Dylan
A great mountain hiker once told me he focused not on reaching the top but on the next tree, rock, or bush approaching. Constantly looking at the top would be too daunting...excellent story!
ReplyDelete