The Job Isn’t Done Until Something More Interesting Comes Along

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of starting something new. Okay, finishing what you already started is pretty exciting, too. So I’m told. That’s never been my strong suit. I usually take things to a point of usability, and then take a breather. That breather has been known to last several years. Just ask my wife.

We were in a home store this weekend, looking at laminate flooring. It’ not an imminent project, but something we’ll probably do within the next year or two. The old floor has been in for about fourteen years. That’s how long some of these walls have been without baseboards. I did a pretty good job of putting in the floor. But trim work is just for visual appeal. I’m sure I read that somewhere.

In the not-so-distant past, I was pretty handy around the house. I have woodworking tools, and I always enjoyed using them. I’ve done some electrical work, a little plumbing, and a ton of painting. My wife’s theory with paint is if you don’t like the color, you can always paint over it. What she means is if she doesn’t like the color, I can always paint over it. Guys, can I get an amen?

My projects now are a little less labor-intensive. Aging muscles and a deteriorated spine have put a damper on my ability to tackle the big stuff. That’s what contractors are for. I tell myself I’m fighting unemployment by giving someone else a job. The bank tells me I’m fighting personal wealth by paying someone else to do something I could do myself if I weren’t such a wimp. That’s how it feels.

My big home project this weekend was fixing the broken caster on my office chair so I can spend several hours a day … well … sitting in it. When I moved my office downstairs, I lost my grip on the chair and it went tumbling down the stairs. By the time it reached the bottom, one of the casters was gone. Have you ever tried sitting in a chair with a missing foot? It requires a certain sense of balance.

With cooler weather moving in, I’ll be spending a lot of time in front of my computer. I’ve got a long-term freelance assignment that’ll keep me busy a good part of the time, and several of you have encouraged me to write a book, so that’s something I want to do as well. And along with that, I’m still working to build my business. Yes, it’s a lot. But it gives me an excuse not to shovel snow.

It’s easy to take on too much all at once, but some of us need a little variety to maintain focus. I used to build model cars and airplanes. I rarely built one at a time. While the glue was drying on one, I was painting another. If I had to put two pieces together and set it aside to dry, it would go back in the box and be forgotten for six months. Meanwhile, I’d have started building four new models.

People keep telling me to focus on one thing until it’s done, but that just doesn’t work for me. I get bored easily, and once I get bored, I rarely go back to finish whatever it was I started. That’s why cutting the grass was always so easy. It’s done in an hour. Painting, on the other hand, can take a few days. By the third time cleaning brushes and rollers, I’m ready to start on a new floor.

I’ve lost count of the number of books I’ve started and never finished. Both reading, and writing. I probably have five or six books at this very moment with a business card stuck in the pages as a bookmark. Those business cards were supposed to be in somebody else’s pocket, not in my unfinished books. But that’s another project I’ve had a hard time finishing. At least I’m consistent.

So, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. On the job, I work several projects at once and I’m expected to finish each one. And I do, which proves it can be done. It’s all a matter of discipline. When you’re on the job, do the job. It’s the same whether it’s the day job, my business, freelance work, or writing a book. Even if it’s just an hour a day, schedule the time and do what needs to be done.

I’ll get my book written. In fact, I’ll probably write two or three at once. Meanwhile, I’ll do the other things I’ve committed to do. You can, too. If your personality is better suited to one task at a time, focus on that project until it’s finished. If you’re like me, make a schedule. There’s no limit to what you can accomplish. Just find what works best for you and don’t stop until you’re done.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved