What’s the one thing that would make all the difference in your life if you could just get it done? If this one thing would really make the difference, why have you not done it yet? Is it because it’s too complicated? Do you need help? Is your lack of inaction nothing more than a lack of true desire to do what you think needs to be done? If you don’t desire to do it, maybe it’s not really the thing you need to do.
I often find that I procrastinate when it comes to taking on big jobs. The thing about big jobs or projects is that you can’t really “do” them per se. They are generally not singular actions. You don’t actually do a project; rather, you take an action that gets the project one step closer to getting done. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Of course, we all know that the first step is always the hardest.
Think of all the progress you could make in life if you readily recognized all of the small steps you could take to get you closer to completing the tasks that will improve your life. While recognizing the first step is a step unto itself, you really need to take some action to get yourself moving in the right direction. As important as it is to get moving, it’s equally important to recognize that most things don’t have to be completed immediately. A slow and steady pace is usually better than a hurried pace that can often lead to burn out and/or abandonment of the project.
Even worse is the problem that jobs done quickly are not always done correctly. Haste can cause you to miss things that would improve upon your goal if time was taken to consider what was being done.
On the other side of the coin is the idea that doing anything can be better than doing nothing. Forward movement of any sort, even if it has to be redone, can sometimes strengthen the product you’re creating. Sometimes any movement, even in the wrong way, is better than nothing.
Few undertakings are done without the need for some realignment or tweaking here or there. If you’re willing to make sure things are done right, even if that means you have to repeat some of your actions, the project will ultimately be better.
In most cases, it’s nothing more than moving one pile of dirt from one place to another. All you have to do is pick up the shovel and start moving the dirt. Most things we can do to improve our lives are really no more complicated than that. The thing to remember is that just because it’s simple doesn’t make it easy.
Pick up your shovel and get to work. I can’t imagine that there’s anyone reading this that doesn’t have a few piles of dirt in their lives that could use a new home. We all know that there are things that need to be done to improve our lives or that would make us a better person. Why aren’t you digging in? A shovel full of dirt moved today is one that does not have to be moved tomorrow.
Knowing and not doing is the same as not knowing. That’s true for everyone, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
This column was originally published in the Hamilton County Herald on Sept. 13, 2013.
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Arkansas. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com