Moving Mountains – See.  Perceive.  Act   

Some jobs, former procrastinators, really are huge.  They seem overwhelming.  It’s easier to walk away than it is to even think about climbing that mountain.  But delay increases the mental and emotional burden.  Delay often increases the physical burden as the mountain continues to grow.

Pray for wisdom and self-control.  Then, here are some helpful ways to move a “mountain”:

• Clarify your goal. 
  Adjust along the way if necessary, but be specific.  “Clean out this room” is not the same as “Make this room a clean, attractive, well-functioning guest room.” Cleaning out is a necessary step/subgoal.

• Stop the inflow.  Turn off two faucets.
  Faucet One – Stop adding to the problem. If you’re dumping items in a spare room, halt that behavior so the room doesn’t get worse.  If your credit cards are maxxed out, stop optional shopping.
  
  Faucet Two – Stop or control the flood of commitments that prevent you from focusing on the task.  No chairing committees.  Prioritize the mountain-job.  If you add a mountain-job to your normal list of activities without adjusting them, you’re headed for frustration and delay. You still have to care for family and go to work, but determine not to take on additional activities until the mountain-task is complete. 

• Set deadlines. 
  Complete the guest room by July 30.  Develop a debt payment plan by May 15.  Give steps or subgoals deadlines.  Some deadlines are “hard.”  If you’re not finished by the date set, something bad happens.  Others are “softer” – but don’t view them that way or you’ll get sloppy and work less.  A deadline moves you to action.  If you don’t finish by the date set, but you finish – Praise God!

•  Devote specific time to the job and safeguard it. 
  If you plan to “get to it as able,” you’ll not be able.  Demands will rush in to fill your adjusted schedule.  Determine a specific time to work on your mountain-task; resist unnecessary interference.  Be realistic.  Fifteen minutes a day?  Two hours?  Do not to stop for the day until you have put in your fifteen minutes – or some time.

• Be consistent.
  Doing a small amount steadily accomplishes more than doing a lot occasionally.

• Arrange for help. 
  Maybe hire a baby sitter twice a week so you can focus on the mountain-job.  Clearly communicate your goal to the family, how you’re approaching it, and how they can help so you’ll still be available for them. If appropriate, enlist your children to help.  If applicable, call professionals to get costs and availability; you may or may not use them. Ask a friend to help you make decisions or hold you accountable.  Find out what your husband is willing to do and when.

• Start.
  “Going to” won’t get it done. Doing it does.

You may feel like you’re moving a mountain with a tablespoon, but persevere.  That’s one less tablespoon ahead of you.  Go to sleep smiling.  “I’m doing it!”

What mountain-job looms over you?