Do we value quantity over quality? Sometimes I think we do such a great job tracking time spent on things that we don’t always look at the value of the outcome. Have you ever said or heard someone else say “I spent xxx hours on that” only to realize the end product was not of very good value?
I would say that probably happens often. Just because you spend time on a project, weight loss, working out or clearing clutter that does not guarantee good end results. What if you took a few minutes prior to beginning your next project deciding on the outcome and then began. It almost seems like doing things backwards but I will put my money on a better ending if you do.
If you tell yourself you want one third of your closet space freed up, visual what that looks like and then begin you will have a success story. However, if you just start gazing into your closet trying to decide what to keep, what to toss and what to donate you may spend more time thinking about it and less time being active about it. You see if you visualize one third more space (your clothes will breathe) it makes the “keep” decision easier and a goal is established. At the end of the project you can say I spent xxx time clearing clutter and am so happy about the one third more room I have in my closet. So much better than spending the entire weekend pondering how to begin and when will it end.
This can happen in work situations as well. Have you seen someone rewarded for all the hours they put in meanwhile you have completed all your projects on time with precision? I worked with someone who had a deadline and toiled away the time until days before the due date. We were all called in to work over the weekend while he stayed up most of the nights finishing and finessing. Much celebration occurred as the finished project was finally hurried to the client to meet the deadline. He was rewarded with praise and income and I sat there wondering why he waited until the last minute to work on the project stealing the weekend away from me and my colleagues. It’s time we spent less time and recognized better results.