Sputtering Along: (Audio)
I must confess… Sometimes I start fast and never finish. Other times I intend to start, and never make it onto the playing field. Then there are times I start, and just sputter through the process until I sputter across the finish line.
Then there are times I’m victorious on every step! I start big! I finish big!
There. Confession is good for the soul. Right? I mean, after all, not everything you think you want to do is a good enough idea to get you all the way to the finish line. It seems someone commented to Edison about all of his failures when it came to his inventions.
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. ~Thomas Edison Share on X
A failure to start might mean there’s something wrong with your starter – lost key, no fuel, or no intention of ever getting started! A failure to finish may mean you have trouble with planning your work to get to the finished line! Starting and stopping may point to other issues that I can only surmise we need to think through for the answer to “What’s the real problem!”
What do I mean by “sputtering“? Let’s define this by an example. If you are listening to my audio podcast then you will hear an example. (Audio)
A car running out of fuel will begin sputtering as the tank empties and a few drops of gas, vapor, and air makes the engine run rough. The car may lurch forward and then sort of hunch down to a stop. Lurch. Stop. You keep pumping the gas pedal, and maybe there’s enough gas to help the engine run smooth. For just a moment. Then it just gives up the ghost and quits!
Sputtering along may be defined as not having enough impetus to get into the game, or you are about tapped out when it comes to having enough energy to finish what you started! Perhaps you are content with your puttering, notice I did not say sputtering! A lot of irons in the fire and no real demand to treat one iron more important than another.
Until something DEMANDS attention.
This is often me. I have so much I want to do and it’s often easier to say “yes” instead of “no, not at this time.” I want a classic car but have no real time or money to focus on it. I need fencing and a barn instead. Does this stop me from looking for the car of my dreams? No. It’s wasted time, much of the time, because I know I will never pull the trigger on the purchase. Priorities do keep me focused.
This morning, listening to yet another webinar, even by someone I admire and enjoy, I realized that the webinar improves my mind, but not the use of my time. I need to change my focus, priority, goal and plan for a different outcome by controlling what I allow myself to get into.
Maybe this is you. Maybe not. I’m headed somewhere with this and I think I know the outcome. Let me know what you think… Join me for a few days of exploration. You may find it worth the start!