Think Half!
by Kathy Gates
Most of us were bought up to finish what was on our plates at
dinner before dessert, or finish our homework so we could go to bed. And of
course nobody likes any job half way done.
So when we begin to think about painting a room, or cleaning out
a closet, or doing taxes we tend to think in terms of the finished product.
Nothing wrong with that, of course! In fact, a lot of people do have trouble
finishing things and that leaves them dragging around a lot of unfinished stuff.
The facts however, are that in today’s microwave world sometimes
getting started and finishing can’t all fit in the same Saturday afternoon.
And nobody likes a job done half way, as we said.
Think Half! Yes, I know I just said nobody likes a job half
finished, but this concept can work in a positive way as well as a negative one.
For example, instead of eating a whole sandwich at lunch, try
eating just half of it. Candy bar craving -- how about half today, half
tomorrow? Less calories, same satisfaction.
If you’ve got an invitation to chair a position you’d love to
work on but just don’t have the time, try half -- offer to co- chair. Half the
work, same fulfillment.
Instead of cleaning out the whole closet in one Saturday,
(hooray for you if you *do* have the time and wherewithal to do it), go just for
the shoes, or just one side, or just the shirts.
Instead of the whole basement, just half a wall. Next week, the
other half of the wall. Half the headaches, same result just a little further
down the road.
Think Half! The key to success with this technique is that it
not become a start-stop technique. Commit to it, add a splash of consistency,
and you’ve got yourself a plan that will work. Use it to help you feel like you
finished what you started out to do, see progress, and that will give you the
motivation to do it again and again.
Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates’ programs helps people
clean up their messy lives both physically and emotionally. Find out how to
create a clean, uncluttered, comfortable, content life at
www.reallifecoach.com.