To kick-off Spring Break with a bit of irony, we received about
two feet of snow in six hours last week. Yay for springtime! Anyway, my two
older sons, ages ten and seven, were excited for the opportunity to earn some
extra money and headed out to shovel. But upon stepping outside into the nearly
waist-deep snow, their enthusiasm turned to dread as they became overwhelmed
with the job in front of them.
My oldest son, Bryson, said they just stood out there and
stared, contemplating all the work it would take to clear the walkways and the
deck. Overwhelmed and intimidated, they were not sure how to even begin such a
daunting task.
But something clicked in Bryson and he decided to just start
digging. Yes, they had to dig down to the concrete - the snow was that deep. He
said he felt like a miner! But he soon found the concrete and then began moving
the snow off the path, one shovelful at a time. It was hard work, and they were
out there for a long time, but eventually, the snow was cleared.
Sometimes tasks can feel like that giant snowfall. There is
so much work to do that we have no idea where to even begin. Just start
digging. Even if you do not have a 13-step strategy or a perfect plan, just
begin chipping away at it. When we are overwhelmed and intimidated by the mountain
of work in front of us, sometimes it is better to begin with action and then
fine-tune strategy as we go rather than waiting for the perfect game plan
before we start.
Remember the words of General Patton, “A good plan,
violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”
Just start.
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