Finish Stuff

I really like closure.  I like things to be wrapped up.  Completed.  Spick and span. (Guess what?  Here's the definition of "spick and span" from Wikipedia:

A spick was a spike or nail, a span was a very fresh wood chip, and thus the phrase meant clean and neat and all in place, as in being nailed down.

See?  Nailed down!  That's what I like.  This is easier said than done however.  I will cook and clean up-- to a certain extent.  I might just let a few dishes soak or drain in the sink.  Who wants to actually dry stuff and put it away?  If I leave those dishes there, I can go fold 3/4 of a load of laundry.  Or go through half the mail.  Or answer a couple of emails.  

I'm trying to be more cognizant of finishing one activity before I start another.  




This is how far I had gotten with folding three loads of laundry when I suddenly felt like I MUST move on to something else.  I wanted to take a walk (for exercise) and do something fun like blog.  And I was burnin' daylight just folding all those silly clothes.  But, I sucked it up and finished before I left the house.  Future Lisa was very happy with past Lisa for finishing something.

I have two theories about this.  1.  I intend to finish something, but don't because I get bored or distracted.  2.  I never did intend to finish something-- I just wanted to start it to make it look like I was accomplishing the task.  Did you ever leave a vacuum cleaner sitting out just so people would think you were in the middle of cleaning-- that's why things look dirty-- not because I'm less than diligent.

It's decidedly disheartening to start six projects in one day and not finish any of them.  Then things start to get crazy.  My new resolution for the next couple of weeks is simply "Finish stuff."  It's short and easy to remember which is crucial for an easily-distracted person such as myself.  And by "stuff" I am referring to even a small segment of a larger project.  After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

I thought it would be a good idea to keep some sage advice in mind to help me in my quest to Finish Stuff.  Here's a helpful one:  "My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start.  So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake.  I feel better already."  --Dave Barry

Oh wait.  Maybe this one is better:  "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  --James 1:4

That works for me! 

Hey, I gotta go.  I have stuff to finish...