Organized or Procrastination

 

Organize - arrange into a structured whole; order (google).  Neat and clean with everything in its place.   But there is something to be said for organized chaos.  After all, what is one person’s logical system is another’s nightmare.  We each have our system.  We are all organized in our way.

But sometimes our way of constructing order gets in the way of actually doing what needs to be done.  We have to have everything cataloged, outlined, and have all the facts prepared…. Then we will be ready to start.  There is more preplanning that must be done. More information is needed.  More practice more, more, more.

All of which is of course needed.  But at some point, it becomes a crutch, an excuse to not move forward.  I would start but I just need a little bit more… something.  Do you?  Or are you just afraid to start?  Nothing is perfect.  Nothing will ever be perfect.  And nothing can be made better if it doesn’t exist.

Recently I have spoken with several would-be authors stuck in the I just need… and then I will start writing.  I need all my notes in this format.  I need to read this book or that one.  I need a better outline.  A different this. Somehow it has to be perfect the first time. That never happens. Start the project.  The characters have a mind of their own and will foil the best-laid plans anyway.

In business, some projects seem to never get off the ground.  Just another spreadsheet.  Another quote from this vendor or that.  One more meeting.  One more update to the schedule.  One more review meeting. In engineering, there is the 80 20 rule.  Get as close to 80% of the information you need as you can.  Then start the project.  The rest will work itself out.  There will be something you didn’t plan for.  That’s why there is contingency.  That’s why there is always a way to change it.

How many times will you write that letter, plan that vacation, get the taxes done, …. But the bookshelf needs to be organized, the dishes done, or something else.  Is that necessary?  Is organizing for organizing’s sake.  Is it procrastination?  Or fear?   What is it that is holding us back from moving forward? 

One must be organized in their way.  Having a plan is a good thing.  Schedules are vital.  But,

You cannot fix or perfect what doesn’t exist.  Stop organizing and start doing.