Overcome the Fatigue of Execution

The ceiling of this art supply store had hundreds of Origami flying cranes hanging from the ceiling. I could not even imagine how long it took someone or a couple someones to fold all those pieces of paper, then to connect and hang them for everyone to enjoy.  It made me think about the fatigue of execution. 

I imagine the person who had the idea to cover the ceiling with folded cranes. They painted a mental picture of what it would look like so everyone who heard the idea could imagine and agree to implement. Once the idea was approved, it was time to plan and execute. This meant acquiring the supplies then folding all those cranes. Maybe they got help or volunteeers to fold. Maybe they worked in shifts. Maybe they included school children and made it a project for an Art class. Maybe they only had each other and the folding seemed to take forever. However it went down, I am pretty sure there was a time when someone got tired and bored with folding cranes. Their fingers hurt, their backs got sore, and they were simply tired of folding the same shape over and over and over again. It may have taken weeks or even months to get them all done, but they did it and the effect is incredible. 

Every good idea becomes reality through execution. It takes time and effort to pull things off. Along the way you may have to adjust the idea, or tweak the final outcome. No matter how long it takes the end is usually worth the effort.  So how do you overcome the urge to quit or give in when boredom or something more exciting comes along? How do you prevent yourself from giving up on the idea right before you finish. How do you get that final burst of energy that will put you over the edge and bring everything to completion? Go back to the beginning and remember why you started in the first place. Remember the big picture and how you felt when it was proposed. Remember how far you have come and how little is left to get it done. Resist the urge to give up and dig deep, keep going, knuckle down and exert that last bigburst needed to get the job done.

Everyone gets tired when executing on a large project or event. Everyone needs to be encouraged and reminded WHY what they are doing matters. Just when you want to quit, take a deep breath and pause. Take a moment to remind yourself and the team how wonderful it will be when the end is done. Think about the hundreds of folded cranes; they fly each day because someone got over the fatigue of execution.