Dull Pricklies
More on the exciting topic of getting my house in order. One big hurdle is getting over my standard behavior. I like finishing things, so I tend to wait around until I have time to clean something completely. Then comes the evil circle. I don't have enough time today, so I'll do it later. Rinse, lather, repeat. Classes, rehearsals, stupid human tricks from the family, too damn tired from work, oh look there's garbage on tv... More excuses for non-action than... Well, I don't really want them anymore, as it soon becomes impossible to do anything in one session.
The light finally comes on. Do something. Get a start. Then the ultimate finish can actually happen, though at a later date. And while the satisfaction is less, it is still there with the incremental approach. Many (maybe most) of you are saying, "Duh, any fool knows you can do chores in pieces." Okay, you're superior to me. You are godly. You're really quite mature. I'm simply not worthy. Oh, and by the way, you suck. Now I've finally made the realization myself, I guess I suck too. That sucks. I guess everything sucks, including the weather. Maybe I should retire to Key West, except the non-local drivers there really suck.
I was thinking of that again as I clipped back blackberry vines after work Monday. It's part of my yard effort, which I've been doing incrementally for a while now. I have a faux goal of sorts, that is to fill up the compost bin for it's weekly pickup, which I've done for well over a month now, with only one week where it wasn't tightly packed. The blackberries are the most challenging in a way, as for the most work they fill the bin the least, but on the up side it clears more space than cleaning up oregon grape or ivy which fill the bin faster. For either there is a great sense of accomplishment. Not so much the amount of work accomplished, but seeing the progress accumulate. Still it is amazing when you get out the little shears and start clipping how much blackberry thicket will fit in a bin.
I need to find something similar inside the house. I have a few areas I keep in good shape (i.e. guest room, shower), and a few I holystone regularly (i.e. kitchen, living room, bathroom). Some of it is being more deliberate in my living. I put things down, and have no recollection two seconds later of having done so. For you aliens that don't relate it's nothing to do with age, I've been the same way since I was four which is as far back as I can reliably remember anything. I suppose my ability to filter distracting things out and shift my focus of attention quickly is the up side to that tendency. My tendency towards holding and shifting a concentrated focus has another aspect. Not only can I totally erase something mundane from my awareness within seconds, I can filter out what I don't like. The house is a mess? Focus elsewhere. It is not even a conscious act, so engaging the conscious to keep awareness of the mess palpable is tricky. Am I just blathering? I feel like I'm making progress.
What was I talking about?
The light finally comes on. Do something. Get a start. Then the ultimate finish can actually happen, though at a later date. And while the satisfaction is less, it is still there with the incremental approach. Many (maybe most) of you are saying, "Duh, any fool knows you can do chores in pieces." Okay, you're superior to me. You are godly. You're really quite mature. I'm simply not worthy. Oh, and by the way, you suck. Now I've finally made the realization myself, I guess I suck too. That sucks. I guess everything sucks, including the weather. Maybe I should retire to Key West, except the non-local drivers there really suck.
I was thinking of that again as I clipped back blackberry vines after work Monday. It's part of my yard effort, which I've been doing incrementally for a while now. I have a faux goal of sorts, that is to fill up the compost bin for it's weekly pickup, which I've done for well over a month now, with only one week where it wasn't tightly packed. The blackberries are the most challenging in a way, as for the most work they fill the bin the least, but on the up side it clears more space than cleaning up oregon grape or ivy which fill the bin faster. For either there is a great sense of accomplishment. Not so much the amount of work accomplished, but seeing the progress accumulate. Still it is amazing when you get out the little shears and start clipping how much blackberry thicket will fit in a bin.
I need to find something similar inside the house. I have a few areas I keep in good shape (i.e. guest room, shower), and a few I holystone regularly (i.e. kitchen, living room, bathroom). Some of it is being more deliberate in my living. I put things down, and have no recollection two seconds later of having done so. For you aliens that don't relate it's nothing to do with age, I've been the same way since I was four which is as far back as I can reliably remember anything. I suppose my ability to filter distracting things out and shift my focus of attention quickly is the up side to that tendency. My tendency towards holding and shifting a concentrated focus has another aspect. Not only can I totally erase something mundane from my awareness within seconds, I can filter out what I don't like. The house is a mess? Focus elsewhere. It is not even a conscious act, so engaging the conscious to keep awareness of the mess palpable is tricky. Am I just blathering? I feel like I'm making progress.
What was I talking about?
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