Earlier this week I wrote about the value of having a recess to get work done. Today I’m writing about the fact that despite this being a very productive week, I’ve barely scratched the surface in what needs (and needed to be) done.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t productive. Far from it, actually. I felt very productive and felt as if I took care of a lot of great work. But, as more work was done, I uncovered additional items that needed to be taken care of. Literally there was no shortage to what could be done, and I felt like if I thought about it too much, it would spiral out of control.
Of course, this is what makes life so interesting, right? There is never a true end to a “To Do” list, as more can always be done. And there is a tremendous connection here to the ways in which we want to live and learn. Our goal should always be to learn as much as possible, and part of that is making sure that we are constantly adding to our “To Do” list (while also consciously crossing items off).
Part of what we have to do as leaders and learners, however, is make sure that we don’t get overwhelmed by the immensity of the work out there. We are one person, part of a community, with twenty-four hours in each day to work. Sometimes we do more than we expected to. Other times we accomplish less. Throughout all of this, we have to keep our mind on constant forward progress. We may never reach the true finish line, but if we keep heading towards it, then we’re always continuing to grow.
That’s one of the reasons why even though I like to think about the future, I have done more as of late to truly consider where I am in the present. As someone who tries to think big picture, this can be tough, but I also recognize that I can only do so much at any given time, and therefore, if I focus on what I can do now, then I’m hopefully moving myself in the right direction!