Work

I am really good at achieving stuff.  When I set out to achieve nothing I am so good at it.  I reckon I would score close to ten out of ten.  It might be watching tv or sleeping.  Something I am really good at is staring meaningfully into the middle distance.
I do think taking my foot off the accelerator is important sometimes.  As they say “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  Vegging to me can be a legitimate activity.  It usually does not mean I do nothing, but it does mean I can if I want to. No wonder someone called Elon Musk said “I'd like to dial it back 5% or 10% and try to have a vacation that's not just e-mail with a view.”
I also reckon I am pretty good at getting stuff done to.  A key for me is having a mind to do it.  I tend to say what I mean and mean what I say.  I really do not commit myself lightly.  No wonder I sometimes seem monk like living under a vow of silence. 
Commitments can come undone.  Sometimes it is a showstopper or a change of direction or a reassessment down the track.  I am ok with those.  What I have more trouble with is someone committing to something and having no idea really of what is involved.  That lends itself to frustration that the task is not done.
Tasks always start with a list.  I break up tasks into small pieces.  That way, I have a sense of accomplishment as I cross off various items.  I am also a big advocate of having an area look like I have never been there.  In other words, I don’t like messing up another area to make the area I am working on look good.  Naturally it is a process and sometimes things need to remain a certain way for several days while the task is completed.  I do not like though things left in a state of flux for months awaiting the completion of something.  Anyway, that is me.
I think everyone has a goal in mind when they start.  Some things just need chipping away at.  It is no wonder Louis Pasteur said “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”  Having a goal though does not automatically guarantee success.  Some goals just take work.  There is no way around it.
A prime example is what we want to do.  Where our above ground pool used to be, we are putting in a storage shed.  Huge task.  Well it is for us.  For some it would probably be a piece of cake. Sill inch by inch everything is a cinch.   Our goal is to use that storage area to clear some of our home and other sheds and use things differently.  This will probably keep us going for months.  No wonder Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Work is like a four-letter dirty word but there is no other way.  If there was, I would be using it.