I Can See Clearly Now

What about you? Do you have things you have been putting off – procrastination has set in?

Or maybe there’s something from your past that stops you. I have an aversion to pulling weeds, too; but that’s another story.

So, the task is scheduled. Guess what, phone calls came in, new (more important) appointments were scheduled. Things I thought were more important got in the way and the window didn’t get cleaned at the appointed time. 

Does this happen to you? You tell yourself you are going to do something; you even schedule a time for it and then you let the more important things get in the way. 

For me, it was the thought, I’ll get to it - it’s not that important. 

However, it was that important. The most important thing was that I had not kept the date with myself to clean the window. You might think, “Really Diane, not keeping the appointed time to clean the window wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Yet it was. Keeping commitments to myself is that important. As I write this, I think about how Steven Covey taught the 4 quadrants: Important/Urgent; Important/Not Urgent; Not Important/Urgent; Not Important/Not Urgent. Which category did cleaning my window go in?

That depends on the importance I put on it. Perhaps you would put it in the not important/not urgent category. It’s obvious that’s where I’ve had it. However, because it was bugging me, it became important/not urgent. And I proved that when I allowed the scheduled time to pass, and I didn’t clean the window.

Think about this with me. Isn’t it amazing how our brains work? This dirty window became something that was cluttering my thoughts. It became a distraction because every time I looked up from my desk, I saw the dirty window and I would say to myself, “you really need to clean that window.” And yet, I would tell myself I didn’t have time and I would get to it soon. And even when I had scheduled it, I let other things get in the way.

I could have closed the blinds – that’s like closing the door to a room you know needs to be cleaned. Your eyes might not see it; however, it’s still there and your mind knows every time you walk by the room that it needs to be cleaned! And closing the blinds meant I would miss the sunshine coming in through the windows (even if they were dirty.

Again, isn’t it amazing how our brains work!! 

I’ll ask you again, what thing do you know you want done, yet you allow other things to get in the way and now the thing that you want done is still waiting to be done? Procrastination (which I’ve heard is a sign of perfection!!)

There’s good news about the window. I cleaned it the day after I had scheduled to clean it. I was determined I was going to get it done. And I cleaned the window in the French door in my office, the windows in the living room, the French doors to the deck, the window in the front door and the window in the kitchen. My husband even started helping me.

On a side note, a couple of days later, I noticed because of the way the sun was shining, that there was a big spot I’d missed – it wasn’t as clean as I thought it was. Instead of thinking it didn’t matter and I’ll get to it, I grabbed the cloth and in just a few seconds, it was clean.

It felt so good to have clean windows, to get this job done and to know my flip down windows are easy to do. 

I can see clearly now – out my windows and more clearly at how I look at things.

Isn’t it amazing how our brain works?

Isn’t it amazing that a simple task like cleaning windows turned into a distraction in my work, caused me to think more clearly and now I get to share these thoughts with you? 

What do you need to see more clearly?

If you have things you have allowed to clutter your mind or procrastination happening in your life, contact me and let’s talk and see how coaching can serve you and help you see more clearly.

I believe in you and I believe in your dreams and desires,

Diane Burton

Coach, Author, Speaker