Starting right here, right now! 3/4/2008 9:25:07 AM
About some things, I am a procrastinator. Not a good trait, for sure.....especially when you know what needs to happen..... "Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may
have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."
~ Napoleon Hill
I read this quote the other day and was immediately convicted! I have plenty of 'tools' laying around! How 'bout you? Sometimes I wonder if procrastinating is the result of feeling overwhelmed. There are a myriad of little things that need be done -- photo albums to finish, writing projects to edit or complete, closets of old clothes that need recycling, old correspondence that needs to be responded to. On and on. I HAVE begun to work on some areas of my life, ie: making exercise more a daily routine vs. a weekly routine. But I have a long way to go before I complete the list I've created for myself.
I am good at the immediate needs of people around me: cooking for the 4-5 men who come in almost daily on the ranch; keeping the house fairly tidy and routinely cleaned; helping out with grandkids; visiting sick friends; working part-time, 2-3 days a week some weeks; even attending a Conversational Italian class and a Bible Study each week; and, trying to keep up with what needs to be done each day, each week.
Perhaps the difference is that the items in the SECOND list relate to accountability to and for other people; the first list relates to being accountable to myself......if that logic holds true, it means I'm much more willing to sacrifice those things that are not 'visible' to others!?
I suspect that this is a trait most women share....putting the needs of others first. But as I am wont to remind myself, servanthood is a characteristic I believe in. On the other hand, organizing and prioritizing is an area I need to reassess. My daughter, a CPA, is much better organized than me, but she does have a natural capacity for being better organized as well!
I am hoping that by putting my own foibles online and 'on the table', I may be able to pursue those first words, "Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command..." and I should not be too critical of myself. However, do I need to be better disciplined. I DO have the necessary tools I need to pursue my goals -- whether it be a new screenplay, novel, short story, photo album, clean closet, or garden space. And, as I step forward, I will increase my ability to accomplish more......
