Mud, Guts, and Getting It Done
Shake up your life a bit. Get rid of the cobwebs. Take the road less traveled. Most people live within the confines of their comfort zone.
Robin Sharma
I faced a muddy mess at my pole barn.
The drive had become a swamp, so wet I’d gotten my car stuck and needed help getting out.
Crushed stone was set to arrive, promising a fix, and my brother offered to help oversee the delivery.
But when the dump truck pulled up, the driver took one look and refused to unload.
The ground was too soft, he said, and a low limb on my Norway spruce blocked his path.
Then he drove off.
My brother and I looked at each other. Then we looked at the tree.
The offending branch was massive, curving sharply and stretching 20 feet high. We planned our approach.
As we were getting the ladder and chainsaw, my brother said maybe we should wait for better weather.
It was cold and windy, not the ideal conditions for removing the branch.
I’m no stranger to procrastination, always finding reasons to delay the hard stuff. But something clicked. “If I don’t do this now,” I told him, “I’ll want to do it even less later.”
Once I understood that, I had all the motivation I needed.
I climbed the ladder, followed our plan, and cut the branch.
It hit the ground with a thud, and we chopped it into manageable pieces.
The task was done — not perfectly, but done.
I’m not someone who thrives on discipline. I can list a hundred excuses to avoid a chore.
But that day, I was practical, thinking of my future self — the one who’d thank me for acting when motivation, however small, was at its peak.
This wasn’t just about a tree limb; it was a new way to frame life’s messy tasks.
This simple shift — seizing the moment when I’m most ready — has stuck with me.
It’s helped me tackle other daunting chores, from clearing clutter to facing tough conversations.
What’s the task you’re avoiding? What might happen if you act now, cobwebs and all?
Out now on Amazon: The Courageous Heart: Wisdom for Difficult Times, an Eric Hoffer Award Finalist. Grab your copy today.
