Sometimes what looks like the hardest and most difficult things to do, are the things we need to do anyway. If we try to maneuver around them for the sake of ease and timing, they can often blow up in our face. If we just do them to start with, we find things to be much more comfortable, and our life, better lived because of the actions.
Sometimes I get grumpy. I don’t clean the kitchen, I don’t pick up things I’m working with once I’m done with them, and I do not dust. When I get like this, I find myself looking at a dirty, dusty house. The sink is full of dishes, junk is all over the countertops, and books and manuscripts are strewn throughout the house. Wherever I look, there is no peace or place for quiet contemplation. The sight is just a mess. Even the yard is a mess because I didn’t take care of it either.
Even though I tend to forget this lesson every now and then, and I have to go back and do a little relearning. 20 minutes a day in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner leaves both good looks and good smells through the night and well into the next day. An hour, two days a week to cut the lawn and trim some trees gives us a good Vista to sit outside and write an article while enjoying the fresh air. I can spend 10 minutes a day to pick up the house and do some dusting, or I can let it go and spend a full week once a quarter.
I am an ornery student, yet I have learned the hard way, 10 minutes a day is much better than a full week. Not only that, it gives me at least 70 days of better views and better smells.
I don’t write this to talk about what a poor housekeeper I’ve been. I write this to remind myself that taking care of things up front actually saves a lot of time and energy. Looking at this as the process improvement specialist, I believe that there are things we can all do, not just to save ourselves time, money and anguish, also to give us a better daily outlook on life.
If you think you need to, you probably need to. Is this not true in most of our life’s endeavors?
Just one mean old Master Sergeant’s thoughts.
Thank you for spending some time with a mean old Master Sergeant. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
processimprovement.me 