Monday, January 30, 2012

Life as a Semester Project

Day 46 of 365 Tiny Changes

Do you remember when you were in school and were given a “project”?  Not  the little project that was to be completed over a weekend, but the really big SEMESTER PROJECT?  I do, I hated them.  The idea, I’m sure, was to break us in for the large projects we were sure to face, as adults, when we reached some great position in the work force.

I would usually start off strong.  Get the idea, and gather the tools of research, usually library books, in the first week.  Then, it would all sit and gather dust for the next 16 weeks.  The weekend before the last week of the semester, I would blow the dust off of my supplies, and my, now way over due, library books and get down to business.  Some how, I would always manage to get it done by the dead line, and get the passing grade I needed.

Looking back, I surmise I should have learned the following from these long term assignments.

Planning
Prioritizing
Time Management

All of these, true life skills, that would have benefited me immeasurably over the years. 

However, I realize, now, that my take away was a little different than the list above.

First:  Never give myself a long term deadline, if I don’t need it.  Why were we given 18 weeks to do a project that could be accomplished in a week? 

Second:  Given the opportunity, I will procrastinate.  Given 18 weeks to tackle a project I will wait until week 18 to complete it.

Third:  Know my audience.  By knowing what my teacher found interesting I was always able to get a passing grade, usually a B or better,  on a 18 week project that I slammed together in the last week of the term.

These learned behaviors have moved on with me, long after the semester projects were forgotten.

Here’s a thought that struck me this morning.  What if LIFE is just one long semester project?  What if Life is not about the little day to day tasks we face, constantly, but about the big project due at the end?

What if out Life IS all about that one big accomplishment?  The culmination of all of our behaviors, activities, emotions, goals, and failures? 

What if life is about planning, prioritizing, and time management, and not about long term deadlines, procrastination, and taking advantage of others?

If my life project was due at the end of the week, would I get a passing grade, this time?

OK, so more than one thought hit me this morning, but they are all on the same topic.

What is the criteria for a passing grade in life?

Some folks have decided that to get that  passing grade, they need to live by the rules of their religion, what ever that religion is, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim...and any factions there of.

Some folks have decided it’s as simple as leading the best life they are able to live, given their particular circumstances.

Some folks don’t care, and just get up each morning and do their life how ever they decide to do it that day.

Me?  I’m not sure if I am a part of any of these groups, or all of them.

How do I go about accomplishing my life project, while keeping the dirty dishes from piling up in the sink?

I probably should have undertaken those school assignments in the manner that was intended, instead of finding the shortcuts.  I probably wouldn’t be asking myself these questions if I had done so.

Ah well, as the saying goes, hind site is 20/20.

Tiny Change 46:  Determine just what my life project is, and just what I have accomplished, so far.

How has your life project been going?

Best Regards,

Linda

Tiny Blessing of the Day:  I am blessed to have the freedom of thought to choose just what and how I am going to accomplish with my life.

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