Monday’s Meditation: On The Special Sense of Satisfaction

June 17, 2013

I spent the majority of my Sunday working on a task that was unappealing, utterly back-breaking, and altogether disgusting. It took hours and hours of my time and by the end I was spent. But, too, I was mesmerized once again by the special satisfaction that comes only with seeing a project through to it’s end.

Somewhere along the line I guess I became good at that–at the stick-to required for completion. A large component of my work revolves around precisely that; I am there to ensure my clients stay on task, that, under my watch, they are able to actually reach the finish line they never imagined they would have in their sights, let alone cross.

This is the condition in which I find most of my clients: they’ve started to work on almost every area in their homes, they’ve halfway implemented half a dozen different systems, and, not having completed any, they’re resigned to the fact that they may never will. They’ve had so many good ideas! But, possibly, too many.

There’s that quote, you know the one, it goes “Whatever you can dream, begin it,” which is wonderful, isn’t it? The trouble is that on any given day, it’s possible we may conceive a whole galaxy of dreams. Begun, each one, and we end up with a lot of false-starts, good intentions gone astray, and flat out stalled ideas.

I can tell you that in my experience, the secret lies in applying a stringent filter. Dreaming up various ideas and plans is invaluable, that much goes without dispute. But we must convert them into measures of reality: how much time will it take, how much money will it cost, how much can I reasonably take on, fulfill satisfactorily? Moreover: how many other dreams have I already begun, am I working on presently, and if I begin this one, will it impair my ability to complete another?

The finisher is the amalgamation of the dreamer and the doer, who, though she may entertain an endless stream of imagined outcomes, begins only those which she truly intends to see through to the point of completion, regardless of what obstacles she may encounter while en route.

It is only the point of completion which validates every ounce of effort that was contributed to the task, which forgives the toiling, and which forgets the struggling. If you duck out an instant before then, you miss out on the chance to reap all the bounties of your labor.

 

1 Comment

  1. ashley on June 17, 2013 at 7:45 am

    i love this quote and post, annie! it’s so true – there’s a relief/reward combo when you do something and do it well, especially if it’s hard/gross/tiring. and i love your suggestion of editing which projects you start, so you can ensure the ones you do begin can actually be completed.

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1 Comment

  1. ashley on June 17, 2013 at 7:45 am

    i love this quote and post, annie! it’s so true – there’s a relief/reward combo when you do something and do it well, especially if it’s hard/gross/tiring. and i love your suggestion of editing which projects you start, so you can ensure the ones you do begin can actually be completed.

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