|
It happens to all of us from time to time.
A new project starts with exploding enthusiasm. Excitement and anticipation supply
the energy required to keep it rolling toward its goal. Then "IT" happens. There's a bump in the road the next day, or the following
week uncovers an obstacle to completing the project. Another bump, even larger than the first
bump, pops you out of your seat as you grab for anything to keep you aboard the
project wagon. As if the first two bumps weren't distracting enough, the third bump appears without
warning and catapults you into the dusty roadbed. Not only has the project come
to an abrupt halt, your tailbone and enthusiasm have
become badly bruised. We can all identify with the gloomy feeling
of being overwhelmed when a project or job loses momentum. Too often, our solution
is to ignore the job for a while hoping for a miraculous intervention. Perhaps
this will dissolve the obstacles that have brought about the lack of progress.
I confess, I have waited for miraculous intervention on many of the projects that
I've stopped working on over the years. It may work for
others, but this "stop and hope" method for problem solving just doesn't work for me. The grass grows around the sides
of the project and given enough time, trees will seed and start growing out of
the top. When I finally brush the dust off me and
pull the rocks from the road, the project wagon sits parked with paint peeling,
precisely where I first got bumped out. To get going
again, I make a deal with my superior self that I will put only 15 minutes of
energy into the project to "see what I can do". No promises for action
though, just a friendly, non- committed "look-see" to get my impatient
all-knowing superior self to move on it. At first glance, the project wheel lying
on the ground could be reattached for starters; it's
only a cotter pin. Five minutes invested in reattaching the wheel levels the project
wagon. Wow, ten minutes left in the agreement. Maybe if I shift the load to the
other end of the projection wagon the weight will be equal on each axel. Another
five minutes spent and the projection wagon is balanced. With five minutes of
time left, maybe I can give it a push to see if it will roll again. Before I know
it, it's rolling and I'm climbing back on board with
job completion in my sights. Climbing back on your project wagon after
a long period of inactivity may look like scaling Mt. Everest without oxygen. Most of the time it's
as easy as climbing a step stool. The secret? "To get going, get going". What project wagon are you ready to climb
back on this week? | 
