My boss is a remarkable man. Truly. I believe he can do anything he sets his mind to. I’m not wanting to embarrass my boss but, really, I admire the man. Like in real life…and I’ve known him for 15 years. I’m not up for a review or anything.
At Christmas he installed a new car stereo in his wife’s car. This included removing the wiring harness and soldering a new one on because an adapter wouldn’t fit in the dash. He also replaced a broken powered, heated mirror. The replacement he ordered from a junkyard didn’t match the color so he disassembled both the new and old and made it all work like new.
Because that’s what he does. He makes stuff work.
I don’t know how to describe him. He’s my boss. He’s a programmer. He’s a carpenter who went to help rebuild after Katrina. In his younger years he could walk up stairs on his hands. Father. Husband. Cool dude. You got the picture? Good. I’ll get to the point.
I drove somewhere with him recently in his car. On the way to the car we walked on a salted sidewalk and I noticed I was leaving salt footprints on the floor mats in his immaculate car.
His IMMACULATE car.
“How do you keep your car so clean?”, I exclaimed more than asked.
He replied, “Well, I just clean it when I get a minute.”
Just like that.
I think everything he does works that way. He just gets it done.
He just gets it done.
He also reads, plays guitar and keeps up to date on tech. He balances life at home and excels at his job. And he keeps his car squeaky clean.
He just goes out there and does it.
Why aren’t my dishes done right now as I type? Because I haven’t gone to do them.
Why are my fences in the condition they are in? Because I haven’t gone to do it.
Rotted beams in the barn collapsed under the weight of hay. Haven’t done it.
Why are the thousand other things incomplete?
I just need to go do it.
I sound like a 90’s shoe commercial.
Let’s just get some stuff done today.
Chism Heritage Farm 
LOVE this! Go Go Go!
I have a day now and then that sounds like your boss’s life. You know the days when you get up running and at the end of the day marvel at what you have done. Wish I have more of them.
When I have a day like that (Saturday) I usually take a nap the next day (Sunday). If I have a day like that on a Sunday…well, those make for rough Mondays.
Choices. Stephen Covey used to say that there is this opportunity between stimulus and response where we get to CHOOSE what our response will be – no matter how tiny or huge the thing – we make a choice. And every choice builds up how we respond to future choices. I nearly always choose picking up a book over scrubbing the bathtub. My bathtub looks like I make that choice. I’ve done that for so many years that I now see cleaning the tub as a big job rather than the little job it would be if I did it when “I got a moment”. Of course, this could be looked at the other way round…I get a lot of reading done. 🙂 That said, yes, I agree with your point. Joel Salatin says that if you take a visitor around your farm and find yourself apologizing for all the broken/messy/undealt with situations around your place more than twice, you’re not “getting it done”. He says everyone has one or two things they wish the visitor didn’t have to see – but if you find yourself excusing several things, there is something wrong. He cannot come and visit here anytime soon, that’s for sure.
There are always three choices when making a decision: Yes, No and No decision. Usually the No Decision costs the most.
If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice. I will choose freewill. (cue guitar)
That Salatin thing is challenging.
My just do it meant carrying my Felco pruners in my pocket every day. Blackberries are the PNW kudzu, known to swallow farms if you turn your back. If only my raspberries would grow 20′ per year! Instead of standing there holding the hose as I fill a water trough, I can clip the berry vines while I’m holding the hose. Simple solution but so hard to do. Good post!
I hate it when I read something and I feel an accusing finger pointing directly at me. The message is simple ‘just do it’. The hard part is in the execution!
I hate when I write something to accuse myself publicly…
I needed to hear that, thanks. So much of the ability to get things done in otherwise unused minutes (at least for me) is in my attitude, and has very little to do with having enough time or energy. This was very heartening to read.
I’m so glad you commented. I haven’t seen you in a while. I was a little worried…