What if it ended today?

Here’s a thought experiment: What if your “routine” ended today, and tomorrow you had to do something completely different? I recently faced this thought as I was getting ready to start a new job. On the Friday before I started thinking “Ya, know I need to go get lunch from my favorite Chinese place.” Then it hit me, on Monday that wouldn’t be an option. I’d be at the new job. Sure, there’s going to be places to go for lunch, but it will be different than what I’ve been used to for the last few months. That got me thinking about some other things. I’ve been working from home a lot, and that is convenient for doing things like a load of laundry, or going and picking up my kids from the bus stop. But once the new job starts, all of that ends. What has been completed is completed. What hasn’t been completed… well, its not going to get completed soon. Further reflection got me thinking about a lot of little projects I kept saying “Oh, I’ll do that some day soon”. Practicing the guitar a little bit each day. Tidying up my office space. Rearranging some pictures on the wall. Working through the Little Lisper during lunch breaks. These are things that now won’t be done any time soon because time has run out. What projects or tasks are you letting just sit around? What value is there in doing one of them right now? Wouldn’t you be happier knowing more had been completed? That’s how big things get done, one small piece at a time. Even more important, are there any people you are putting off until later? Now is more important than you think. So as you go about your day, look for one small thing that you’ve been putting off and do. And be sure to visit that great lunchtime spot, and savor the moment. You never know when things are going to get switched up.