Ninety days of summer weather. And in those ninety days we got to: Grow tomatoes, beans, potatoes. corn, squash, cucumbers and thyme. Have barbecues, and a day out on a mountain we can climb. So, you can see how we just got to, we just got to get outside and get together. (From David Budbill’s poem, Summer Blues).
INSTRUCTIONS: For this challenge, post your pictures in the comments on the PATH Facebook page for each corresponding week. Be sure to name the week and your title. That way we can all see each other’s posts and keep track of your “proof” that you did each week’s goal.
It’s the first week of this year’s Sizzlin’ Summer Challenge!! Drum roll please. Welcome to you all! This week’s focus is all about finishing a project. Perhaps over the past few months while following stay-at-home orders you found plenty of time and energy to finish a project. Or perhaps you had great intentions, got started on something and then turned your attention elsewhere. Regardless, this is the time to pick up where you left off or take on and finish a new project.
According to writer Scott H. Young, anyone can learn to be a project finisher. He suggests that the way to become proficient in doing so is to place your planned projects in one of two categories: experiment or commitment. If you place your project in the experimental category – guess what – it’s okay to quit on it- as you may have discovered along the way that it’s not feasible or requires a different skill set. However, if you put your project in the commitment category, there’s no turning back. You will want to see it through.
Young also suggests that if finishing a project is continually challenging, begin by making only short-term commitments first. When we only focus on finishing a long-term project, it can lose its pizzazz or the information available can change more significantly making it difficult to get to the finish line. I would imagine most of us can relate to this statement given how rapidly our lives changed in March. Projects we were in the midst of completing whether in school or at home had to be revamped or put on hold as new information landed at our feet.
So, this summer, to build upon your habit of finishing a project, tackle a small one first. Or if you have a larger project in mind, break it up into small goals that are achievable over a planned period and stick to your schedule. Do your best to eliminate distractions that might lead you astray. Ask for help from others as needed. Let go of beating yourself up if the project is not a 100 percent perfect. Take breaks when you feel like you are spinning your wheels, continue to remain flexible, keep track of your progress and celebrate small steps forward.
My weekend project over the next month is to reorganize our storage room in the garage. Last December when I moved here, my husband and I unloaded multiple boxes in a flash and given the cold temperatures threw them in the storage room and shut the door. And there they still are – disorganized and scattered. Rather than further support my procrastination because the project looks overwhelming, my plan now is to break up the reorganization in smaller sections, take breaks, drink plenty of water and celebrate each time I have organized a corner of the room.
We anxiously await seeing the projects you have finished on your Facebook posts this week and we are cheering you on.
See you on The PATH Ahead.
Shevonne, Gillian, Ashley and Amy