Taking One's Own Advice

I am a great one for giving advice. Some might even say that I have a habit of telling people what to do – whether they want to know or not. But you know who my most difficult customer is? Yup, me.

Two example that hit me within the past day have to do with this blog and another project I am working on. The one with this blog is a no brainer. One of my favorite moments in literature is when Alice, of Alice in Wonderland, asks the Cheshire Cat which way she should go. He asks her where she is trying to get to. When she replies that she really doesn’t know, then he tells her that “it really doesn’t matter which way you go then, does it?”

How true that is of me and this blog. The one thing I am missing is a mission statement – or simply a goal statement. How do I know if I am achieving my purpose or not if I don’t know what that purpose is.  Figured that one out today. A real “DUH!” moment. Sorry.

The second one has  to do with another project I am trying to get off the ground. On my to-do list has been this line “Work on X project”. I can’t seem to ever get it done either. Well no wonder! What does “Work on” mean anyway? Complete the entire thing? Too big, and what is the entire thing. It is just really a stupid thing to put on a list. Kind of like “fix car” or “learn the guitar” or “establish world peace”. It simply isn’t going to happen.

What is on my list now? A line that says “Establish rough draft of project plan for X project”. Ok, now that one I can do. And then from that project plan, I can create a better plan with timelines and details. And those individual items, the kind that are doable, will then go on the list. Makes all the world of sense right? Define the project in terms of small, manageable tasks. So if it made so much sense, why didn’t I do it before.

Sometimes I think that I am such a dense client that I ought to charge myself more!