If unfinished business is an energy leak, what’s finished business?
The other day my husband and I were discussing the difference between “operations” (ordinary, repetitive work that is part of your daily routine) and “projects” (work that is unique, not part of your normal day and that only lasts for a short time).
He began rattling off all kinds of interesting words and acronyms (such as LEAN, KAIZAN and D.M.A.I.C.) to describe procedures they use at his company to be more efficient and get the work done faster.
“Those sound like techniques that help streamline operations,” I told him. “What about projects? I’m looking at the little, unfinished projects in the home that sidetrack our attention and are energy leaks.”
“Oh,” he replied, dismissively. “We call those, ‘J.D.I.s’
“What are ‘J.D.I’s’?“ I asked.
“ ‘Just-Do-Its’,” he answered. “We identify what we have in front of us that’s easy to do and we just get it done.”
Can you imagine it? You want to keep your job, your boss or supervisor walks into your area, sees a bunch of J.D.I.s cluttering up your space and looks at you as if to say: “What are you doing? You’re a professional and this is your area. You’re responsible for it. Get rid of those things.”
J.D.I.s are those little bits of unfinished business that never seem urgent enough to rise very high on a homemaker’s list of “things-that-must-get-done.” Yet, surprisingly enough—if we would just get rid of three or four of them each week—they are the very things that can give us the biggest boosts of energy in the shortest amount of time.
- Did you borrow an item from a friend six months ago and still haven’t returned it? Get it done.
- Got a library fine that’s been hanging over your head for awhile? Get it done.
- What about that outlet that needs a new cover plate put on it? Get it done.
- Or the broken can opener that needs to be replaced? Get it done.
- Or the bag of clothing in your car that still needs to be dropped off at the donation station? Get it done.
Question: If unfinished business is an energy leak, what’s finished business?
Answer: An energy gain and a nice, big boost to your self-esteem, that’s what.
Got a bunch of J.D.I.s cluttering up your space? What are you doing? You’re a professional and this is your area. Get rid of those things.
Go ahead. Get it done. Or, in other words…
Just-Do-It.
