Are you one of those who postpone starting a project because you are waiting for a 3-4 day (or week) in your life where your calendar is clear to start something big?

Many of us are like that. Call it perfectionism-waiting until the time is perfect or call it procrastination-if I wait long enough something more fun, interesting or crisis-laden will come along.

I'm here to tell you we never get those GIANT blocks of time just sitting there on our calendar saying absolutely nothing coming up here in the next (4 x 24) 96 hours-not a thing. As the late Gilda Radner said in her autobiographical story, There's Always Something.

We need to face that – embrace that- and then figure out what to do about that.

If we've postponed a dreaded task for fear of the "messies" we need to sit still and 1. visualize the project completed, 2. develop a plan of action with specific key steps that will move us forward and 3. take our planner/calendar and write in WHEN we will begin.

Blocking out chunks of time (probably not realistically four full straight days) of when we will start – when we will continue (several chunks) and our goal date of completion should energize us to get going sooner rather than later.

Oh, you say, but it's going to get so messy before I finish. And you know what? You are right! Think ER or Grey's Anatomy. How is it looking for that horizontal patient in the middle of the heart transplant? Not a pretty sight, unless, of course, you are a medical student or trained medical professional. To those of us with our non-medical background it looks pretty gooey, messy and downright scary at times.

So pick a project. Realize the middle of it will get messy, just like those TV shows. But here's the important thing—stay the course, don't give up; picture getting to the other side with everything put back together again.

It worked for Humpty Dumpty. It continues to work for Dr. Carter and Dr. Shepherd and their colleagues. Be not afraid.

 

Go forth and begin with a plan.

Let me know how you handled the mess in the middle and broke through to the other side called completion. Write me of your successes and challenges at boomer@theredteam.com.

Until then…

Sue