Get more Accomplished using this Magic Word
Whether it be active observation or more of a reflective observation, I’ve learned a lot over the years from just quietly observing. I’m going to share with you one of the three biggest realizations from my observations for how to get something done.
We all have things we want to do, have, experience, or accomplish. What do a lot of people do when New Years comes around? They join a gym bc they want to get in shape. But we both know they stop going after a while. How about the folks that want their homes to be always “put together”. They get their home put together and then when it gets cluttered or messy, some folks either give up for a while(that would be me;) or they make excuses as to why it’s not “put together” anymore. There’s more examples but let’s just stick to these two very common scenarios. While some people can use sheer will power to accomplish their goals, to dos, or want tos, let’s be honest, most folks just don’t have enough will power to cross the finish line. And both of these examples could have used some help to be set up for success from the beginning. And one of the ways I have observed to get more things accomplished is by keeping this simple word in mind:
Convenient. If it’s not convenient, it’s not gonna happen(long term).
Think about it. We have convenience stores. We have convenience foods. We crave convenience. We’re just wired that way. Human nature tends to want to give the least amount of effort but wants the most amount of return from it. While on the surface that sounds like pure laziness, what if it was really about being efficient? What if really under the surface our human nature was craving efficiency?
So let’s plug a little convenience into our two scenarios.
So, let’s say Ms Sally wants to get back in shape. She’s been carrying around an extra 15 pounds since she gave birth to her fourth beautiful baby ,little Susie, four years ago. If Sally would make her steps to getting in shape convenient she will be more likely to accomplish what she set out to do. If we stick to the gym idea… Sally could go to the gym that is convenient to her home/travel route, conveniently has childcare on site, she picks a convenient time to go when little Susie won’t be napping/expecting a meal, had their clothes and gear conveniently set out the night before for their trip to the gym the next day, and she had dinner started in the crockpot for a healthy convenient dinner instead of unhealthy convenience food on the run. Sally could repeat that plan every day (same gym, same gear, same clothes but washed, same time, same weekly menu) until she didn’t have to think about it because it had become a habit. That would be a great way to set her up for success starting day one.
Now how about Ms Patsy who wants her home put back together…She’s been making every excuse under the sun to friends and family for why her home isn’t put together the way she had it when her young family of five moved in three years ago. She’s often complaining and fussing to her kids and husband for not putting things back where they go. But if Patsy could think of ways to make it more convenient for the whole family it would actually help her out with keeping up with how she wants her home to look and feel. For example, everyday when her husband comes home from work like clockwork he empties his pockets right there on the front hall table, even though there’s a super cute basket whose only job is to hold all his pocket treasures. The problem is, to get to the basket he has to walk through two rooms, go left down the hall and right into the bedroom then put his keys, wallet, change, etc in the basket. Even though the basket’s only use is to keep his things together, it’s not in a location that fits his habits of living. She could put the cute basket on the front hall table and see how that works. It would be convenient for him and “put together pretty” for her. And if she really doesn’t like how the basket looks in the front hall..she can try another decor piece that keeps the function of convenience for him and aesthetics for her.
If we can all take a look around and see what is out of order, think of why it’s out of order, then discern whether it needs a convenience adjustment or a conversation. When things are convenient for the whole family and “put together pretty” for us it’s a win win. Homes are for living in by living people so it’s not going to be perfect or put together all the time ever. When a home can be made to fit the family instead of the family made to fit the home, then there’s way more life being enjoyed. And if you ever see a home that’s perfect every second of the day, every day…don’t start comparing,,, check the pulse of that perfect home because there may not be any life in it.
Convenience is key on the farm too. There’s truth to the saying “out of sight, out of mind”. When the garden is planted in “the back 40” where you never go on your property, it becomes out of sight. And that makes it more susceptible to being out of mind=Not Convenient. There’s always going to be something more important to do than pulling weeds in the first place much less going to “the back 40” to pull ‘em. When the garden isn’t convenient for you, let’s face it, you don’t work in the garden. You have to put the garden where it’s perfect for what you plan to grow AND convenient for you.
Do you have a personal example of how convenience was the key to getting something accomplished?
Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas.