Sunday Musings: The Cumulative Effect of "Doing a Little Bit Every Day"

in #hive-1063162 years ago

I spent a substantial part of the day doing yardwork.

Whereas I don't really mind doing yardwork, it's far from my favorite pastime.

Momentary pause...

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Not entirely true. What makes it "not my favorite pastime" is the fact that there always seems far more of it that needs doing than I have time or energy to do. As is true with much of life, it seems.

If yardwork didn't so often feel like there was a monstrous Sword of Damocles hanging over my head, it would feel more like a truly enjoyable pastime.

But I'm Gaining on it!

One of the things I did notice today is that it is taking less time than it used to, to get back to "point zero." We've been working to make the whole property feel more like it is truly ours and truly the way we want it to be... and I am starting to notice the cumulative effect of doing a little bit, every day.

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A few tiny pansies seem to have taken root in the lawn...

For example, we've got a couple of scraggly and half-dead trees on the property that need to be cut down. Big job, requiring an arborist and a tree service? Not really...

I've been gradually cutting the dead parts down and breaking them up for kindling in our fire pit, and chopping up larger branches for firewood... or stakes we use in the vegetable garden.

Who says you can't take eight weeks to cut down a tree?

In a few weeks, there will just be a mostly bare tree trunk that can be cut down and sawed into logs for winter.

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Busy bee in the columbines...

Thinking Big Doesn't Always Serve Us!

It's interesting how often we are taught to "think big" and "reach for the stars," but sometimes it feels like that advice is offered completely separated from the practical application of it.

Think about investing. You can accumulate a considerable chunk of change by simply saving a few dollars every day over a long period of time!

It's one of the things I really like about Hive: If you just participate, engage, create and curate a little bit every day, chances are you'll have something fairly substantial after a few years.

But most people don't tend to think that way — or have not been taught to think that way — and instead fixate on things like "I need $2 million to retire!" I think it's fairly safe to say that almost nobody just "makes" two million dollars.

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To be honest, such thinking exhausts me!

Again, thinking very "locally," I find it far easier to visualize "can you create a blog post at least every other day for 10 years?" than perhaps something "big" like "get to 100,000 Hive Power."

I don't know if I'll make it to 100,000HP, but I know that I can reasonably write a blog post every other day for the next ten years because I've already been doing that for the past twenty years.

Meanwhile, out in the yard, we may want it all to be perfect, done and manicured... but the thought of what that would take is exhausting, and the idea of hiring a service to do the work is prohibitive!

But the idea of "doing a little bit extra, every day" is something I can pretty easily deal with!

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Patience, in an Impatient World!

I sometimes get the impression that "the world" wants to keep us impatient and oriented towards immediate results... because it preys on our fears of having shortcomings, and that fear makes us loyal and dedicated little "consumers."

In some strange way, "having patience" is almost a disruptive idea!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week ahead!

How about YOU? Do you tend to be a patient person? Or are you more oriented towards "getting it done NOW?" Have you experienced the effectiveness of just doing a LITTLE of something every day, to eventually reach a BIG result? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 20220710 23:17 PDT

0607/1853

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Patience is rewarding, not only in gardening but nurturing whatever we undertake then watch it flourish.

The rose is most stunning, how well your garden grows, watch out for green fingers those sticks used as staves for planting on used to also take root with my Dad's green thumb.

@tipu curate

Inch by inch... that has always been my motto. For savings, posting, and accumulating - even yard work and work around the house.

My yards (I have two houses) are large, but, I do a little something every day, even if it is only weeding one bed. Same with the house. I might dust one room, and vacuum the upstairs. None of these things are back-breakers, but with a job, family, and other obligations, it gets done and I am not feeling rushed.

I agree wholeheartedly! Inch by inch, it's a cinch.

Great post @denmarkguy !

A little bit each day is the trick, whether gardening or any other task.
I am wondering, what do we get if we achieve 100k Hive Power?

My personality is such that I tend to put up with a lot and not get in a big rush. Usually. We hired a landscape expert to take a look at our yard. The flower beds beside our front porch have gradually become a huge tangle of perennials and weeds gone nuts. Too much to do, too tired to tackle it all. She gave us some great ideas, and I am still asking myself whether I can work up the energy to do it myself, even if I only do little bit at a time. There will be a lot of digging, and I'm getting up there in years. My husband is not in good shape at all. I may have to hire someone to do some of it, at least. Or I can just let it be the ghastly mess that it currently is.

Hire a young person and give specific directions. They have the energy and you have the knowledge. They will work at affordable rates and work quicker than you ever dreamed. @scribblingramma

Good luck! If all else fails, wait until the end of the season and transplant a few of the bigger ones into a different area, and cut the rest to the ground. They will come up healthier and strong next year.

Good suggestions!

Good luck!!