the joy of returning from a business trip

I just got back from a business trip and a couple of quotes and thoughts are going through my head that I'd like to share:

"To create the olive, king of all trees, a hundred years is required. An onion plant is old in nine weeks. I have lived as an onion plant. It has not pleased me. Now I wouldst become the greatest of olive trees..."

"...and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Before walking through the door at my apartment I stopped to remember what I had experienced, afraid it would too easily get left behind in the transition back to my normal schedule.  Standing there, I reflected on the experiences of the past few days.  It may seem overly deep to some, the feelings that were brought on by a trade show in Vegas.  To me, though, these are legitimate and real feelings.

Looking over the past few days, I recall being helped, respected, befriended, and even sought after.  As well, I met people and made friends I respect and look up to.  Not to say that these things don’t happen back home, but it simply felt really good to be actively involved in creative and productive conversations and to be so frequently engaged in social interaction, often with people I just met.  It helped me realize how it is I would like to live my life, how it is I would like to spend my time.  While relaxation and leisure are great and important, too many days have I spent excessively self-absorbed in inconsequential activities such as facebook and netflix (both of which can be wonderful in moderation).  As Og Mandino wrote in his terrific and insightful book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, “I have lived as an onion plant. It has not pleased me.”  I desire to more actively pursue the memorable and meaningful experiences of life.

In addition to these feelings and desires to be more of a producer and a contributor and not only a consumer, I was reminded of the feeling one can get upon returning home after a long or significant experience.  Perhaps you have felt this before.  It’s the feeling that, while YOU have changed significantly, the rest of the world is in the same place you left it.  I desire to have as many experiences as possible in which I truly progress and am not simply left in the same place, unchanged as time moves on.

Like T. S. Eliot said, we will come to “know the place for the first time.”  This can be in seeing the wonderful things we may have taken for granted as well as seeing our former selves and where we ought to be – an awakening of ourselves to a realization of our possibilities and potential.

4) "A Habit I Wish I Didn't Have", or, Finally Finishing Feats Feels Fine

About a year ago I started a blog challenge to write on 30 different prompts.  I did three of them and really enjoyed the writing, but then I quit.  Since then there have been times when I've wanted to start up again but haven't.  A couple of days ago I told a friend that I would be posting a blog post soon and we made a deal to both post something by the end of today.  I was thinking of it today then totally forgot after getting home from the Thanksgiving break.  Thankfully, she messaged me reminding me of the approaching deadline.

And so it is that I'm again writing in this blog and working on this blog challenge.  And what an apropos item to have as the vessel of my renaissance; I am to write about "A habit you wish you didn't have."  I have a habit of beginning things and not finishing them, not seeing them through to their full potential.  I feel that in so doing I am not completely pursuing my own full potential.  Like this blog challenge, there have been many things that have gone from ideas to brainstorming, development, and even through the completion of some first steps before falling by the wayside, inadvertent casualties of fresh and exciting new ideas.  This is a habit I wish I didn't have.

What's the point in writing this sort of confession if not to serve as a reminder of an opportunity to improve?  So, how should one/I/you go about finishing things that we start?  I welcome any comments on ideas that you have.  Here are some of my ideas that, while perhaps basic and seemingly obvious, I plan to use to help:

Make a habit of completion
The more we are able to complete tasks, challenges, etc. the more we will...be able to complete tasks, challenges, etc.  Perhaps it will be by seeing how relatively easy and exceptionally rewarding it is to complete something and see it through to its finish, or, at the very least, its maturity.  I feel that this would especially be the case for those, like me, who feel as though there are more instances of unfinished undertakings than completed projects.  This may seem like a catch-22; if you're having trouble finishing tasks, how do you finish tasks in order to become better at finishing tasks?  That is a great question.  However it happens, once it does, I feel that it will get easier and easier with repetition.

Dedicate time to the tasks at hand

Blocking off an hour a day, 30 min. every Saturday, or whatever you choose will help in making the project more of a reality, an actual part of your life.  This can make a great test–if you're willing to dedicate some of the limited time available to you, it's obviously important to you and deserves some allotment of dedication.  If not, this may be a project that it's ok to leave unfinished.

Focus
Much has been written debating multi-tasking vs. single-tasking.  For some, multitasking is the way to go.  Tristan Higbee, author/creator of The Backlight as well as multiple other blogs, etc., finds that the variety provided by multitasking allows him to shift between projects with a net result of being more productive (read it here).  Zenhabits makes a great argument for single-tasking.  I can understand both views and it probably simply comes down to personal preference.  Regardless of your preference, there is a certain point where having too many things going at once will keep any of them from getting finished.  Focus on the one (or two, or three) most important, valued, or urgent projects until they are complete.  Rinse and repeat.

Set deadlines
Setting deadlines (and sticking to them) can also help in following through on ideas.  No elaboration needed here.

Be wary of perfection (at first)
This is an interesting idea (and perhaps deserving of its own post(s)).  I have found that my desire for perfection in a project, design, or plan has kept me from making any real progress.  I deliberate and wait to make the first move until I'm sure I have the best plan.  This is at risk of becoming trite in certain areas of the blogosphere but, nevertheless, I will say it here: the most important thing to do is simply to start.  If you want to write a book, limit (or stop) deliberating over the title and the cover and the PR.  Sit down and write.  If you want to read more, limit (or stop) creating your reading list, reading book reviews and shopping around.  Pick up a book and read.  I fully support the pursuit of perfection (if you, too, like this idea, read Jonathan Livingston Seagull).  Perfection comes with time.  Don't be afraid to begin before you have the ideal idea, the model model :)

I should note that I am by no means an expert (or even a practitioner, in some cases) of the ideas I suggested above.  I have no proof of their efficacy.  They are simply ideas that I have (not entirely my own) that I think will help.  I am writing them for my own benefit as much as for the benefit of a reader.  When all is said and done, the goal is to finish more of the projects that I start.  Again, feel free to share your ideas and comments.

On that note, I will be continuing with this blog challenge.  I plan to write somewhere between once a day and once every year :)  Wait, what was that about setting deadlines?  Alright, I plan to finish this blog challenge before my birthday (about three months away).  I may really get going and finish sooner.  That's fine.  But I will finish before my next birthday.  Oh, hey, that's another great thing to do–share your goals and deadlines so your friends can hold you accountable :)

Cheerio!

+Andy

Touching things once

I remember something my mother once taught me (actually, she probably taught it to me on many occasions).  She said that, if possible, you should only touch things once.  This is in reference to things like laundry.  It's better to take care of it all at once rather than taking clothes and putting them in a basket, then later taking it to your room, then later putting them away.  Once you pick something up take care of it all the way.

This is something I am going to try to do better.  Instead of putting something in a drawer or on a shelf to sort through and decide about later, I will take action at the time.  This can certainly apply to digital things as well.  Take care of e-mail when you first "touch" it.  Answer it, delete it, do whatever you need to do with it then.  Don't just let it sit, waiting for it to be taken care of someday.

I'm going to do better with touching things once and not putting them off 'til later.  I challenge you to do the same.

-barefoot Andy