An article from the blog of Chris Brogan hit the soft spot this morning. It did so not because I have been lazy, but because I have been busy. He said “We Choose Our Own Adventures”.
How true it rings
As you know, I missed the Woodworking in America conference a few weeks ago. Setting my priorities was foremost in my mind when I made the decision not to go.
As a result, I have been immersed in studies, preparing for the written exam, the second step to become a Certified Court Interpreter in the state of Missouri.
Over the weekend I fired up the chain saw, and made two large stacks of firewood from tree branches and trunks. And our son-in-law brought four of our granddaughters to pick up a huge pickup load of firewood to split. Now we have another load to take to their place.
But I still have a large amount of wood to cut into smaller pieces. And I must change the hydraulic fluid in the tractor, as the old fluid is foaming, due to water condensation; heck, it won’t even pick up the blade I used so many times last Winter to push aside the snow. And snow is coming; sooner or later, it WILL be here.
I want to get these things done. I must get them done. And I have a new jig in the shop, ready for full evaluation. I MUST get to that one soon. Right after November 6, when I take the written exam — I *will* have the time then.
I must find the time. Just like Chris Brogan said. I WILL find the time.
Fall in Missouri is typically gorgeous; the trees put on a display as the leaf colors change, producing spectacular vistas. But this time the colors are muted, and the colors last but a few days at most. So we will probably not drive around to visit the sites we normally visit this time of year; but I will use the camera to capture what is beautiful to me.
And you?
- Do YOU have a list of things to do?
- What are the things you might NOT find the time to do?
- What are the things you would rather NOT do, but MUST do?
Please answer in the comments, leaving at least one item or more that you will NOT do, so you can do others.
— Al Navas
About Al Navas
Al, I have been thinking about finding time, making time, a lot lately because I have been considering changing. The sort of changing that I am wanting to do involves practice. I would like to change into the sort of person that can very quickly and very accurately hand cut dovetails. I would like to change into the sort of person that can use a skew chisel on my lathe. These kinds of change require practice – steady, measured ammounts of practice over an extended period.
So, to become skilled at creating dovetails I am willing to devote say, one hour per day to practice. To “find” or ” make” that hour, I have to decide what I am not going to do, yes that’s right – I have to either stop doing (give up) something that I am already doing or do less of it. Let’s say that I make a commitment to myself that I will spend an hour in the shop practicing creating dovetails each morning, first thing. To carve out that hour, I might have to get up an hour earlier, in order words, give up an hour’s sleep. I have found something that I will no longer do so that I can keep the commitment to myself, so that I can practice, so that I can change.
So, if you want to do something, get things done, achieve a goal, change, the first thing that you have to do is to figure out what you’re not going to do.
Here’s hoping that there’s always more stuff that I want to do than I have time to do. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mike,
THAT is truly “all” it takes. I know how difficult providing the extra hour can be, but it can be done. My push for the dovetail practice: An article I wrote in August 2009, and the “bucket” of dovetail joints, spilling over the edge – one-a-day, at least: http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2009/08/28/two-marking-gauges-one-old-and-one-new/
About that skew chisel: I imagine it will require a similar approach but, alas, I have zero expertise with it. What about a local Woodcraft class, or someone within 100 miles, who can come in to show you, or you can go to? I look forward to hearing more on this!
Please let your readers know that you are a very lucky man. Please let them know the real scoop – that is: YOU HAVE NO HONEY DO LISTS — you probably lose them in that shuffle on top of your desk.
I am lucky, indeed!