Getting your stuff done!

This blog has addressed the topic of procrastination.  Whether in the boardroom, faculty room, classroom, church hall, town hall, or community center, it can derail plans, goals, and dreams.  We do well to remind ourselves that we don’t wait for a goal—we work for the goal.

This week, a handyman reminded me of this truism. Or, I should say, the lack of a handyman.

I am not a handyman-type.  I can do basic home maintenance but not much more. I do stay on top of what needs to be done in our home and on our property.  If I find some wood rot, I fix it. Same for a leaky toilet or hot tub maintenance. If a problem arises that is too much for my meager skills, I call someone.  Because of this, we have never watched a small problem grow into a large and expensive one. My wife and I have been fortunate over our years as homeowners to have had some skilled and dependable handymen and craftsmen come to our assistance.

Recently, we found ourselves in the position of needing a new “go-to” handyman. Let’s say it has been a hit or miss journey. One good experience, one almost good experience, and three misses. As I deal with those frustrations (and continue to build a list of contractors/handymen-women to interview), I am thankful that I learned along the way (from past handymen) to stay on top of repairs and renovations. Not just think about repairs. Not just cogitate on a renovation. Act on those ideas.

We did not kick the can down the road with an excuse of “That wood rot can wait. It’s not that bad.”  We stayed on it. We fixed it. And thus, it helps keep our home in good shape.  We didn’t think of repairing it. We repaired it.

That proves prescient now as we look for a new handyman/woman in what is proving to be a drawn out process.

And it is a metaphor for goal achievement. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, what can you do today to advance your plans?

Example: You want to write a book but you don’t have a publisher. So…you wait. And nothing happens. As Hugh Prather said, “If the desire to write a book is not accompanied by the actual writing, then the desire is not to write.”

Our handyman hiccups do not mean we do not need the service. It means we need to continue our search. And we must continue our work and get our stuff done.

Just like our goals.

Video recommendation for the week:

An oldie but a goodie. Are you getting your stuff done?

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My new book has been released.
eBook ($2.99) Paperback ($9.99). Click here.

Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit.

Well, actually, my dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.
Click here for more information about the book.

In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

• My book, Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019), (print and e-book) is available on More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at www.stevepiscitelli.com.
• Check out my book Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island (2017). It has been adopted for teaching, learning, and coaching purposes. I conducted (September 2019) a half-day workshop for a community college’s new faculty onboarding program using the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts can be found at The Growth and Resilience Network®.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2020. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®