Catalyst
Making Things Happen
Doing the Difficult
My wife and I are in the middle of what we considered an impossible project.
Ten years ago, we moved in our home in the Dallas area. In the intervening decade, our two girls graduated from college and both got married within a 9 month span. That year our bank account emptied and our garage filled. We were left with the residue of college furnishings and various catering-type equipment. Sandwiched in to our memories, my wife’s mother passed away and she inherited dishes, trinkets, and old clothes which became a Mount Everest of memories in our garage.
We wanted to clean it up, organize it, and dispense with the clutter. My wife wanted closets back for such mundane things as clothes. Cars sat in the elements while junk was dry and protected.
We had visions of what to do, but it seemed so daunting. Yet, my wife persisted (and did a lion’s share of the work). She dug in and moved dozens of trash bags to the curb (all in the midst of a heat wave). We bought shelves and storage bins. Last weekend, we put up the shelves and she loaded the bins and organized much of stuff. What we thought about for three years is becoming reality.
Why did we put it off so long? One word–fear. Not the kind of fear that frightens you, but the kind that breeds a spreading dread.
Here’s what I keep learning about doing the difficult.
You have to start before you can finish. Wishing and hoping and planning get nothing done. It took opening a box and taking something out. You have to dig in, whether it be study, writing, or cleaning. Start somewhere. Once you begin, momentum takes over.
You have to limit your work. No one can get the difficult done at one sitting. (If it could, it would not be difficult.) Set a timer and work until it goes off. Everyone can tolerate anything for a short time.
Work for progress, not perfection. Most people become overwhelmed by the work because they want it finished. Yet, if you can appreciate the progress you make, the completion will take care of itself. Just push a little further.
My wife is doing a wonderful job and I help when I can. What we imagined is becoming real–one box at a time.