Ok, I admit it. I am not only a list maker; I’m the kind of list maker who, if she has forgotten to add to her list something that she’s already taken care of, goes in and adds it just for the pleasure of checking it off!
Yeah, a little crazy, I know. But it does give me such a feeling of satisfaction to check things off. That sense of accomplishment, of spending your time productively, is what motivates you to keep pushing forward. At least it does for me.
As I’ve already mentioned in previous posts, I’ve just completed a major house move, which included considerable divesting of long-held possessions. All my friends have told me how good it’s going to feel when it’s over. And I’ve kept saying, “uh-huh,” and secreting doubting there was ever going to be an end to worrying about where everything was going to go. But today, this morning, I actually unpacked my last box! I disassembled it and got it ready to discard. It felt good. But what amazed me was that quite suddenly, I was truly home. All my stuff was here, and I was finding just the right spot for each thing. OR…realizing maybe I didn’t need to bring it along after all!
So it goes with writers. Sometimes the lines that seem so brilliant, so inspired, don’t make the second or third cut. And you wonder what you ever saw in them in the first place. But you cut, because the ultimate goal is to get to write THE END. To know that you unpacked every thought in a logical order…or at least made it logical afterword, and that you’re finished unpacking now. You’re going to stop. Journalists used to write –30–. I guess for courtroom lawyers, that sense of accomplishment comes with a rap of a gavel and an announcement that the case is closed. And then there’s an acquaintance of mine who works with young, sometimes challenged children. I once asked her how her day went, and I’ll never forget her response: “I helped a little one say ‘Mommy’ for the first time today. Best day ever!”
What gives you the greatest sense of accomplishment? I’ll bet answers will vary wildly from young moms, professionals, care workers, seniors, or even your kids. Please share………!
