Happy Groundhog’s Day.
I’ve talked about the animal and the holiday in previous posts, so today I want to talk about the movie. Well, not the movie itself, but the idea in the movie.
Most people have seen Groundhog’s Day with Bill Murray, so I hope nothing I say will be a spoiler. In the movie, Bill Murray relives February 2nd repeatedly and becomes a better person along the way. I don’t enjoy this movie, but it’s interesting how we can do the same thing every day until the days all look like.
Now, some chores have to be done every day (or almost every day.) No one wants the dishes to stack up, so they must be cleaned. Food has to be cooked every day, and you should brush your teeth and comb your hair.
But other things that should end can begin to feel like a daily chore. Those are the items I want to look at. Perhaps you are painting a room or reading War and Peace. Whatever the project is, it can feel eternal, which can take the fun out of it.
What is the solution?
Deadlines.
I love deadlines. I especially love deadlines that can not be violated. Hubby decided to move out of his office. He had to turn the keys in on January 31. That was our hard deadline. Without that, it would have taken months to clean out the space. Instead, we did it in three days. Hooray!
I love to write stories, but I can drag them out for years. Giving myself a deadline (or entering a contest with a deadline) ensures that the story will get done, and I can write another.
Take a look at some of your projects. Have they become like Groundhog’s Day, repeating and repeating when they should be done? Can you set a reasonable deadline? One of my favorite deadlines is company coming over. That is difficult in the time of Covid, but we can fake it.
Tell a friend your deadline. On that day, they can Zoom call you, and after you show them the completed item, you can each enjoy a coffee (or wine, depending on the time of day.) It’s a wonderful feeling.