projects

by

Prioritize Or You Will End Up Picking Up The Pieces

We sometimes underestimate the time little tasks take and, therefore, fail to prioritize them.

prioritize or you will end up picking up the pieces

Maybe it’s just me but, when I’m not working on a significant project, I’m easily pulled away from the secondary work I have to get done. 

This week I didn’t have to write a sermon, which is normally a major weekly project. For that, I am pretty protective of my time and I manage it through the week. 

I don’t know what it is but, when I don’t have a major anchor like a sermon to structure my week around, I’m not as protective of my time. 

It’s like a high school kid on summer vacation. He wakes up every morning and his parents give him a bunch of things they want him to do before they get home from work. Any plans or ideas of what he wanted to do now come under the new assignments he’s been tasked with.

This past week’s disaster is mostly my fault; I just needed to guard my time better. 

Someone called and needed help with something. I was only working on little tasks so I left what I was working on to help them get their task done. 

That happened two or three times this week, and because I felt like I had some extra time, I also worked on a couple of other things I had not planned on. 

We’ve all seen jugglers who have about five balls in the air and then get someone to throw another ball into the air for them. Often they incorporate that extra ball into their routine seamlessly. 

But there are times when the ball that gets thrown in arrives too high or low or too hard. When that happens, the juggler doesn’t just miss or drop that extra ball. All the balls he has circling in the air also get dropped. 

The balls scatter.

That’s how I felt at the end of my week. I still had a bunch of little details and tasks to do that were all scattered around me.

When I was in high school, we liked to see how many pennies we could catch. 

… Remember those things? 5 pennies were equal to a nickel, and 100 of them made a dollar – I mean a loonie.

We would bring one arm up and rest the back of our hand on our shoulder so we could stack a pile of pennies on our forearm just before our elbow. 

Then we would snap our arm forward and catch the pile of pennies in our hand. We got up to catching 20, 30, even 40 or more pennies in as many as 4 piles on our forearm.

You had to snap your arm forward really fast to catch all those stacks of coins. But if you missed, you had pennies flying everywhere. (Don’t try this at home, kids.)

Today, I’m picking up pennies – I mean, tasks – that I just didn’t give the priority to that they required. 

Here’s the thing: When you don’t prioritize God in your life, there will be other things and other people that fill your day and keep you from having much or any time with God. When that happens, your life will tend to be a little scattered. You will lose the directional focus you need.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you failing to prioritize these days? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this one to your email twice weekly.

by

Why Projects Always Take Longer Than You Plan For

This post is a repost from January 2014, I hope you enjoy it.

Maybe it’s just me, but all projects I take on turn out to be more than I bargained for. It doesn’t matter what it is, nothing is as simple as I think it’s going to be. Something I think will take 10 minutes will take a half hour.  

projects

The other day I decided to fix a broken standing pole lamp that Lily really liked.

I took some measurements and headed to the hardware store. I was hoping for an all-in-one-fix-your-standing-pole-lamp-diy kit, but though I looked everywhere, I couldn’t find one.

I scoured the electrical section and found wire that I needed. There were two gauges to choose from; I picked the heavier gauge. I grabbed a switch and a socket that looked about the same as the original ones and headed home.  

So I purchased three items and, as it turned out, all of them were different that the original items in the lamp. But for some reason, I figured they would work just fine … and that’s all Lily cared about. She wanted the lamp to work.

It’s like the instruction sheet mentality, where you think, “Who needs instructions? Just do it and don’t worry about spare parts; it will all work out.” 

Well, my first problem was in replacing the wire. The opening in the pole was tight; I should have bought the lighter gauged wire. But I was going to make it work! So I forced it in and, yes, it probably took 3X longer than I thought, but I got it done.

I was surprised that the socket went on really quickly. That should have concerned me. When something is that easy, it usually means I forgot to do something. But I was on a roll and moved on to the switch.

I realized that I bought an on/off switch when the original had been a dimmer switch. At that point I didn’t really care. Lily was going to have light, and when you have light, why in the world would you ever want to dim that?!

With the switch in place, I plugged the lamp in and flicked that switch. Voila, it worked! I thought this was one of the easiest projects I’d done in a long time.  

That’s when I went to put the lamp shade on and realized why the old socket was different from the new one. It was used to secure the shade to the lamp.

I had to take off the socket and use the old one, and that required me to use solder. … I can’t solder worth a darn and it took me forever to make the change.  

When my project was finally complete, I didn’t stand back and think, “Great job, Paul. You did it again.”  

I placed the lamp stand in the living room, turned my back to it and walked away thinking, “I don’t want to look at that lamp for the rest of the night.”

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we want to fix our problems in life with ideas we’ve tried before or recycled approaches from some self-help source. The best approach, however, is to seek God for a fresh solution to your problem. Ask Him to apply His power to the problem at hand. He will use the right materials for the job.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What gives you the greatest frustration in problems or projects you have?  Leave your comment below.

by

Doing Things The Hard Way Isn’t The Way To Go

You can do things the hard way, or you can find an easier way to get things done.

There are many reasons to do things the hard way. They say it builds character. They say if you do things the hard way you learn to do it the right way.

There is some merit to these answers, but sometimes the hard way is just a deterrent to do the thing at all.

In my life I’ve found that doing things the hard way also means doing things without the proper resources or know-how. 

For most of my life, when I needed to make or repair something, I looked at the tools I had available and tried to figure it out on my own from there.

Most of the time I got the job done, but it definitely involved doing things the hard way.

Not having the right equipment or know-how never stopped me from starting projects, but it did keep me from completing them.

A long time ago we wanted to finish our basement at home. My plan was to frame some rooms.

But when I got to a part that I was not sure how to complete, or what tools would allow me to do it, I put it off … and off.

Finally Lily found a handyman and asked him to finish off the parts of the basement that I had left.  

That was years ago. Now I’ve figured out that having the right tools and the right know-how make things easier.

You don’t have to do everything the hard way.

The other day Lil wanted a couple of shelves added to a wall cabinet. I was unsure of my know-how and whether I had the right tools for the job, so I turned to the great wisdom of the internet. 

I had an idea of the kind of shelves I wanted – the kind where you put little pegs in the wall or the cabinet and then place the shelf on top of them. They are neat and in the end there’s no visible hardware. 

On YouTube I found a guy who demonstrated how to get the four holes in perfect alignment for the pegs. He used a peg board as a guide. 

At the hardware store, the service guy thought it was genius. He also suggested I get the store to cut my shelves for me on their table saw. 

The amazing thing was I never had to cut a piece of wood myself, and I never had to use a measuring tape for the holes. I simply picked which holes I wanted to use on my peg board, and set and marked a depth line on my drill. 

I did it the easy way. It took no time to build those shelves. I never forced anything or had to make do. I used the right tool for the job and only paid fifty cents a cut for the tool I didn’t have. 

The shelves? – Perfection!

Here’s the thing: Unless you are reading God’s word, you won’t know much of what God wants you to do, and unless you are seeking His help, you don’t have the right tools to accomplish what He wants you to do. You can do things the hard way, or you can get into your Bible so you understand God’s methods. Then ask God to give you the right tools to accomplish His will. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you trying to do the hard way right now? Leave your comments below.

by

I’m Having A Difficult Time With A Home Project

I always find home projects to be more difficult than they should be. I think it has something to do with being handy … which I’m not.

changing-a-flat-tire

I can do things, but it always comes at a price to me.

The idea of completing something around the house is appealing, but the actual work never ends up being enjoyable.

I’ve spent time in emergency rooms; I’ve left projects half done for months; I’ve gotten myself completely frustrated to the point of smashing the project with whatever is in my hand at the moment.

Mostly what deflates me about projects is the time. Everything I do takes longer than I figure it should take.

There is always a wrinkle, a hitch, an exception, an unforeseen catastrophe that makes the project go way beyond the time I’ve estimated for it.

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to change the tires on my car. I was going on a trip and wanted to take my winter tires off and put my summer tires on.

… Not a big deal; I can do it in about thirty minutes.

I had a little time the night before I was leaving so I got to work. I jacked one wheel up and took the lug nuts off. When I went to take the tire off, it wouldn’t budge.

There was nothing holding the tire on, but it was glued to the hub!

Fortunately, I had this happen to me once before so I knew what to do. I started kicking the tire – not just tapping it with my foot – I was whaling on the tire with my heel as hard as I could!

The theory is, by kicking it, you create a vibration on the wheel so that it releases itself from the hub.

I went into action, but nothing. I got a rubber mallet, and still nothing. I looked at the time this was taking and realized it wasn’t worth it so I put the nuts back on the tire, lowered the jack and went on my trip the next day with my winter tires still on.

About a week later, after my trip, I decided I better try again. I started with the same tire and I got out all the equipment I thought I would need to work on it. To my surprise, It came off fairly easily.

I put the summer tire on in its place and moved to the next tire. Surely, it would not be stuck on as well.

Wrong! It was so frozen to the hub, though I pounded and pounded, and worked up a real sweat, the tire never budged.

I tried a different tire – same result. Nothing I did would loosen the tires so I could change them. I had to drive for a day with one summer tire and three winter tires.

I found videos on the internet that gave me solutions … they didn’t work.

My thirty minute project has now taken me a couple of hours and I’ve only changed one tire!

Today I’ll purchase a sledge hammer and see what that bad boy can do for me.

Here’s the thing: Time is often an issue for us because we try to do things without the right tools. Spiritually, we often struggle with things because we don’t go to the right source. Seek God first; let Him have what you’re struggling with.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find yourself struggling with right now? Leave your comment below.

by

How Unfinished Projects Become Invisible

We can get used to living with something that is unfinished. The other day when I was the passenger in a car, the driver pointed out a house to me. He said the owners had been working on that house for over a decade.

10-Lowes-Low-Price-Home-Improvement

It was a big house but the yard was a mess, all overgrown, with at least two construction vehicles parked haphazardly around the property.

It looked to me like people were living in the house, but the outside of it needed bricks or stucco or something to finish it off.

My first thought was to wonder how they lived for ten years in a house that wasn’t finished. But then I remembered that I’m living with an unfinished project myself.

Recently we changed the railing on our deck. But when it came time to do the stair rail, we kind of put the brakes on. I was a little unsure of how to proceed with one part of it, so we just held off until we could get some advice.

We were so busy for the next couple of weekends that we never got to the store to find out how to finish the task.

Finally, this past week we made it to the hardware store and inquired about what we needed to know.

But now it’s not a priority any more. You see, the railing looks pretty much finished. When we look out our patio doors, all we see is the new railing; we don’t see the part that’s unfinished.

It’s just the steps that don’t have the railing and, though it would finish off the project and look complete, it doesn’t look bad.

When we were working on the project we wanted to get it all finished. I didn’t like leaving the job half done. But the more time that passed, I became less and less concerned that it wasn’t complete.

I’m sure the people living in the unfinished house I saw have the same feelings. They may twinge a little bit when they pull into their yard, but once they get into their house, they don’t see the outside and it’s probably liveable on the inside.

We can get so used to living in that unfinished state that we don’t see what it really looks like any more. We look at the finished part and are satisfied.

Even some visual reminders don’t motivate me. For instance, every time I step into my garage I see a pile of old railing pieces that need to be taken to the dump and some 4×4 posts that need to be cut and are waiting to be placed at the bottom of the stairs.

That doesn’t phase me any more; I’m used to that now.

However, other people take one look and notice what is unfinished and that becomes their focus. … I guess I better put a man on it, and finish it off.

Here’s the thing: While our outer life looks fine to everyone, our inner life can be left unfinished. If we care more about how things look to everyone else, we may not take the time to work on the interior. And we can get very comfortable living in an unfinished state, to the point that we don’t even notice what needs to be worked on any more. Take an inventory of the spiritual work you need most, and put a man on it. Don’t neglect that unfinished work.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you left unfinished and just gotten used to? Leave your comment below.

by

Why Projects Always Take Longer Than You Plan For

Maybe it’s just me, but any project I take on turns out to be more than I bargained for. It doesn’t matter what it is, nothing is as simple as I think it’s going to be. Something I think will take 10 minutes will take a half hour.

Man_electrocuting

The other day I decided to fix a broken standing pole lamp that Lily really liked.

I took some measurements and headed to the hardware store. I was hoping for an all-in-one-fix-your-standing-pole-lamp-diy kit, but though I looked everywhere, I couldn’t find one.

I scoured the electrical section and found wire that I needed. There were two gauges to choose from; I picked the heavier gauge. I grabbed a switch and a socket that looked about the same as the original ones and headed home.

So I purchased three items and, as it turned out, all of them were different that the original items in the lamp. But for some reason, I figured they would work just fine … and that’s all Lily cared about. She wanted the lamp to work.

It’s like the instruction sheet mentality, where you think, “Who needs instructions? Just do it and don’t worry about spare parts; it will all work out.”

Well, my first problem was in replacing the wire. The opening in the pole was tight; I should have bought the lighter gauged wire. But I was going to make it work! So I forced it in and, yes, it probably took 3X longer than I thought, but I got it done.

I was surprised that the socket went on really quickly. That should have concerned me. When something is that easy, it usually means I forgot to do something. But I was on a roll and moved on to the switch.

I realized that I bought an on/off switch when the original had been a dimmer switch. At that point I didn’t really care. Lily was going to have light, and when you have light, why in the world would you ever want to dim that?!

With the switch in place, I plugged the lamp in and flicked that switch. Voila, it worked! I thought this was one of the easiest projects I’d done in a long time.

That’s when I went to put the lamp shade on and realized why the old socket was different from the new one. It was used to secure the shade to the lamp.

I had to take off the socket and use the old one, and that required me to use solder. … I can’t solder worth a darn and it took me forever to make the change.

When my project was finally complete, I didn’t stand back and think, “Great job, Paul. You did it again.”

I placed the lamp stand in the living room, turned my back to it and walked away thinking, “I don’t want to look at that lamp for the rest of the night.”

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we want to fix our problems in life with ideas we’ve tried before or recycled approaches from some self-help source. The best approach, however, is to seek God for a fresh solution to your problem. Ask Him to apply His power to the problem at hand. He will use the right materials for the job.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What gives you the greatest frustration in problems or projects you have?  Leave your comment below.