Hump Day Madness

When you're up to your ass in alligators,
it's easy to forget your initial objective was to drain the swamp! 
Unknown Author

...and this was just the battery! The phone itself snapped into the top but was lost over the years.

by Skip Cohen

It's an expression we've all heard and are reminded of whenever we take on a challenge that turns out to be far more difficult than anticipated. That pretty much describes our days right now. Here's the short backstory:

After ten years in this house, we decided it was time to paint the interior...but not a little at a time. Walls, trim, ceiling, closets -- all in the same project. And while there have been some funny moments, like me finally giving up my warmest winter parka to Goodwill...or deciding which of my alternative sizes of clothing should finally be discarded...it's been exhausting.

We moved to Florida fifteen years ago, and it's hard to believe how much junk we've accumulated. But sorting out the contents of various closets is only the smallest challenge. We never really thought through our daily routines - now interrupted by the addition of the painters, rooms temporarily emptied into other rooms, the smell of the paint, and trying to find virtually anything that's been moved! Even the pups are confused - since their bed is normally in the room where everything started.

What I did find interesting, though, was the AI explanation of the 70s quote about alligators:

This classic, pragmatic business idiom perfectly describes being so overwhelmed by day-to-day crises that you lose sight of your original goals.

If you are dealing with a flood of pressing issues right now, here is a quick approach to help regain control:

• Triage immediately: Stop worrying about long-term projects until the immediate "threats" (the alligators) are handled.
• Refocus: Take a step back and clearly redefine your ultimate goal (the swamp).
• Re-strategize: Figure out which tasks actually move you toward your main objective, and delegate or discard the rest.

So, I chose not to post for the last couple of days - at least until we were more organized. I'm chasing things down one closet at a time, and as paint in one room dries, I'm preparing the next. I've even got a mini-plan in my head for putting things back. It sounds like we're organized, but only in my writing.

The bottom line is the "swamp" was simply the idea of a much-needed fresh coat of paint. So, there's nothing to do but take things one step at a time. However, there's still a fair amount of "gut-wrenching" decisions when it comes to one last closet -- my camera/business storage in my office! It's more like a museum, home not only to multiple pieces of camera gear I no longer use, dozens of cables, but also to staplers and even a fax machine.

I'm not a hoarder, but finding the power pack for my first cell phone is pretty outrageous. It's close to 40 years old and weighs at least 5 lbs. I've used it over the years to make a comparison to the way some small business owners still try and market themselves without ever expanding in all the new ways to extend your reach!

I'm whining about all the challenges, and we're only on day 2!

Wishing everybody a Happy Hump Day! Whatever the challenges in your life today, be grateful that you're here to take them on. Keep the alligators in the swamp by staying focused on the original intent before you started. Most important of all - don't lose your sense of humor, which tends to evaporate the minute you stop taking care of yourself.

Happy Hump Day!

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