Inktober Day 24: Well Begun

I worked on refinishing a piece of furniture today. I am about ninety-five percent done. The most tedious part of the process was the prep work. Standing, Taping, caulking, re-sanding, before the actual work of painting starts. For most people the worst part is getting started, doing lots of things with not much to show for it. As I finished the second coat, and I waited – again – for paint to dry, I thought of these words from Mary Poppins:

Getting started is hard enough, getting started well is even more work. It means gathering the right tools, having all the supplies, taking the time to prep and prepare, and getting the space ready for a small mess. And that all happens before any changes or positive motion can be detected. And as anyone knows who has painted, the prep work done right makes everything look really fantastic. And prep work done poorly makes the whole process a great deal more exhausting, and the end product a lot less appealing.

I spent a great deal of time today prepping. Having experienced the end product when I didn’t prep, I have learned my lesson. I had to not listen to the portion of my brain that wanted me to wing it. I had to not give into the easy way, hoping that I could finagle through as I got to the end. And I allowed myself to embrace the process, do the work up front, and start the job off right. It really does make a difference, and yes it is a pain in the patootie!

What job, life task or thing are you avoiding starting because of the prep work? Let me encourage you to stop putting off the rough stuff at the beginning, just suck it up and get through it. Once you get started you will feel better about everything overall, no doubt you will indeed like the end result much better. And of course, who doesn’t want to prove Mary Poppins right…well begun is half done, indeed!