Why Add Disadvantage To The Next Move?

A Bad Next Move...

A Good Next Move...

I was insulating one of my sections where my exterior landscaping sprinkler system is located.  The section where six of the line valves are lined up in a row has always been sitting above ground next to the family room of my house.  I decided to build an attractive winter insulated box to cover those exposed valves.  One year it got pretty cold and one of the lines broke from the freeze.  I must not have gotten all of the water drained from it at the end of fall.  Building the box is like adding an extra step to ensure those pipes do not break in the freezing winter cold.  It was a short project.  I figured it might take me a few hours, start to finish.  I was correct.  I had the materials and I just cleaned up my shop and re-arranged everything on the shelf a couple of weekends ago.  I was in good shape to tackle this project.  My next move was ready to go.  No disadvantage in sight!

I took Monday off so I could do a few things around the house to winterize.  One of those things was to insulate that line of sprinkler valves.  After my wife left to do her work, I got started.  I took a short cup of coffee outside and began measuring for my initial cuts.  I took out the necessary tools and set up a cutting area for the work to begin.  I was not in a rush and things were moving along very smoothly.  While I was working on the insulation box, I noticed a couple of other maintenance issues that could also be done.  I did them while I was working on this project.  That was a very good 'next' move.  Those maintenance issues were some of the insignificant ones that I have been putting off because they were needed but not necessarily urgent.  I did not really have those extra things on my list but now they are done.  Advantage, me.  I was feeling pretty sparky.  A guy outside in the late fall with his tools doing stuff that is needed to be done.  Having a cup of coffee once in awhile and enjoying the project work.  Like I said, advantage...me.

Sometimes we work in this kind of mode.  We find pleasure completing some stuff we have been putting off.  I do this kind of work once in awhile in my office, too.  Sometimes there is somewhat important stuff piling up on my desk that should be done and filed away.  Certain things get put off and begin to get moved around from corner to corner before they are actually completed properly.  Those things get put off and buried underneath the other stuff that is slowly piling up, too.  We know we need to get to it but it is not pressing yet.  So it gets placed away from completion for now.  That kind of stuff happens.  Building the insulation box for my sprinkler system in my yard was one of those kinds of 'put off' projects.  I have been meaning to build that box for a few years now.  I am now finally doing it.  Yesterday it was being measured, cut and built.  I was winning with each next move.  No disadvantage in sight.

It feels good to begin wrapping up a project that we have been putting off for a very long time.  When we begin doing one of those piles on our desk that is growing mold from being placed too long in its pile we begin to feel good about completing that pile.  It feels good.  We begin to look for the next move.  We feel good about making progress on a delayed project.  There is a certain sense of added accomplishment.  It is a good feeling.  We feel like we have reached a small victory.  I was feeling this way when my insulation box was taking form.  I have thought about building this box for a few years now.  I am excited that it is really going to happen and so far it was looking pretty good.  My next move was decided.  I would go have lunch with my wife.  I am ahead on the project and I only have a few more things to do to wrap it up.  I am also feeling a little extra good since I completed a couple of other small projects that have been also delayed.  Doing the insulation box led me to complete a couple of other ones, too.  I am ahead of the curve on this one.  Lunch sounds good!  I can allow some disadvantage to come into play with this project.  I was ahead of the curve.  A small disadvantage was perfectly fine to allow.  Anyway, lunch sounds good.  It would be a nice break.

Isn't this how we do it?  We justify how to add disadvantage to our goals and project needs?  Sometimes our next moves are slight admissions to allow some kind of disadvantage to appear.  We believe we can manage some small disadvantages to our efforts for completing important tasks.  We agree to do this with ourselves.  We change our focus, temporarily.  Disadvantage, me.  My choice, however.

I took a break form the insulation box project and headed for town to have lunch with my wife.  I agreed to take some shredded reports to the recycling center for her when I arrived.  We had lunch and enjoyed the time.  She said her shredder got jammed, however.  So I took out some tools from the back room of her office and began to remove the large paper jam inside the wheels that shred the paper.  It was not easy to do.  It took me about forty five minutes to complete that project.  It works well now.  She kept on apologizing to me for taking me away from my insulation box project at home.  I was fine with it.  I was winning on the insulation box project and it looked like I would only need an hour or so to finish it up.  Taking the time to repair her shredder was no big deal.  I had the time.  I left to go drop off the shredded materials at the recycling center.  I have not seen the owner of that business for quite some time so we talked for a little while.  We got caught up sharing some things we have not been able to share for a few years.  It was nice seeing him.  We had a couple of good laughs.  He was not on my 'next' move schedule, however.

Now my first disadvantage has grown.  Lunch with my wife has been extended to a trip to the shredding recycling office.  Now I have expanded my disadvantage.  I have moved to include something else to take me away from my original focus.  My insulation box project is now on 'hold' for a little while.  I not only agreed to do a couple of more things on this 'lunch' trip I got caught sitting down to chit chat with a friend I have not seen for quite some time.  Several forms developed that add disadvantage to my insulation project. These have become my 'next' moves.  The insulation project is quietly put on hold, again.  Disadvantage, me.

It has now been a couple of hours since I was back at home finishing my insulation box project.  This short lunch break took more time than I had originally planned.  Now my winning clock was beginning to feel the pressure.  I would need to return back and get moving on that project if I wanted to finish it in a comfortable amount of time.  As I began to leave the recycling center, I remembered how I wanted to talk to my mechanic about doing a tune-up on our Audi automobile.  The recycling center is located out near that mechanics shop.  So I decided I had enough time to go see him, since I was already near his shop.  I was in my wife's car, the Audi, because she had it loaded with the shredded paper.  Perfect, I could take it out to his shop.  I had discovered a new 'next' move.  Isn't that how it happens?  We get sidetracked by more important stuff that pops up when we least expect it.  Projects get put on hold this way.  We bounce around from duty to duty trying to do the efficient stuff as we move along.  We get sidetracked easily with that kind of thinking and movements.  I was now headed for the mechanics shop.  One more 'strategic' disadvantage could not hurt.  This time, the disadvantage would be another good move.  I can justify doing this step instead of rushing home to finish building my insulation box.  Strategic work is always good, right?  I gave it some thought and decided to add one more disadvantage to my home project.  I added disadvantage to my next move.

Clear The Mind When It Ain't Going Well!

Visiting with my mechanic and getting the car tune-up scheduled was already on one of my 'to do' lists anyway.  So why not complete that one while I am near his shop.  I turned down the road that lead to his shop.  We chatted when I arrived and I scheduled next Monday to have the car taken in.  On my way home as I was approaching my driveway I realized I could not have the car taken into the shop on next Monday.  I would need to call the mechanic and re-schedule.  I remembered how I would not be available on Monday to take the car in.  I also realized that I was killing too much time and was now 'pressed for time' on the insulation box project.  The disadvantages were beginning to take their toll on the time I needed for completing my insulation box project.  Now I needed to call the mechanic and re-schedule the tune-up.  I rushed into the house to call his shop.  I could see the clock was further along than I needed to do the job I had started in the yard.  My next move was to speed up my work and try to beat the daylight time that was fast coming to an end.  It has been just over three hours since I left this project to go have lunch.  The clock now becomes my new disadvantage.

This is exactly how we get off the focused trail.  We justify the next moves.  We think of things we need to do while we work on the one project we are trying to complete.  We try to multi-task everything as we move along.  We get bumped off the trail by things we did not think would appear in our way.  They just showed up.  They became important for the moment and we gave them our valuable time.  Our original project got side-tracked.  We added disadvantage to our next moves.  I did exactly that all day long yesterday on my insulation box project.  I added disadvantage to my trail.

I finally returned to the backyard and began working on the sprinkler box.  I could see where I was and how far I needed to go to finish it up.  My time slot was now 'pressed.'  I would need to speed it up a little bit to get it done before the sun went down.  I am not sure why, but I went inside the house to turn off the main water valve to the outside sprinkler systems.  I returned outside to drain the water form the whole system.  I manually ran the valve on the lower portion of the yard so it would drain all of the water out of the system, downhill.  I stepped up to the area where the box was being constructed and immediately tried to move some of the system to the left just a little bit.  In doing so, I broke one of the PVC lines.  It broke just following the main shut off valve outside the system.  If the water in the house was not turned off, I would have a flood of water flowing where my insulation box was being constructed.  I got lucky.  Disadvantage me on the time clock issue, advantage me on the adverted disaster potential.  I was not happy but at the same time, relieved.  Now my clock just got a whole lot tighter.

My next move would be critical.  I stopped to think how to efficiently make my next best move.  I went to my cleaned up shop and searched to see what plumbing supplies I owned.  I was short two pieces and would need to make a supply run.  I did that run.  Disadvantage, me.

The trip I made was focused well.  I did not look to visit with anyone.  I was more determined than before.  Isn't that how we build stress?  Isn't that how some people who know us see us when we walk quickly by them in a hurry?  Isn't that how tension builds?  When our time clock gets squeezed, we get more tense.  Our work begins to become compromised and our effort to complete that work is hurried.  The clock begins to talk louder than we want it to speak.  Our next moves are easily compromised when this begins to happen.  It did for me, yesterday.  I was no longer in the 'do it right' mental state of mind.  I was in the 'get it done quickly' state of mind.  Did you know these are two completely different approaches?  They are.  They have two completely different sets of rules, results and effects.  Our next moves become so vital.  One more glitch in the process and anxiety can turn into anger management.  My once comfortable sprinkler insulation box project was now pressed to become a stressful process to finish it up before the dark sets in.

I returned from the supply run very quickly this time.  I discovered when I returned that my PVC glue was almost all dried up.  I forgot to check the glue when I examined my supplies on hand.  Disadvantage, me...again.

This time I was getting a little bit more than excited about where I was headed with this project.  I made my mind up that my next move was to complete the box.  I could fix the pipe later.  The water was turned off and all was well.  I knew that I needed to complete the box work.  It became my total focus by now.  Finally, advantage completely me.

I was whipping the tools around, the measuring, the cutting, the screw gun and the insulation attachments into a faster pace to finish up before dark.  I needed to mix all of this construction work with my clean up as I moved around the yard.  I was looking a little bit like a 'tweak-er' running on some extra coffee with my speed.  I nicked my knuckle on an exposed screw and it hit me on a recently scabbed wound that was not done healing yet.  It bled fast and hurt a lot.  I had to go into the house and dress that wound.  It was making a mess.  Disadvantage, me.

My stress was now running on over-drive.  My next move was to speed up the process.  In less than ten minutes, I nicked another old wound on the other hand.  Same process.  Go inside and dress that wound.  What would be the chances that I would nick the only two areas on my body that had older wounds on them?  Boy, they hurt a lot.  Big time disadvantage, now.  My completion to this project was now in some big time trouble.  The clock was winning.  I was frustrated.  Isn't this how it happens, sometimes?  Does this not sound familiar?  Our next moves drive how we treat what we will do to manage our stress.  We get sidetracked easily and forget to respect how we deal with stressful stuff.  Sometimes our stress is not coming from big things.  Often it comes from some of the most simple procedures.  Our next moves are crucial when we find disadvantage to appear.  I was clearly losing this game.

When I placed that second bandage on, I decided to stop what I was doing.  I stopped to sit down in the house.  I called my wife at work and chit chatted with her about how this project got away from me.  I told her that I was going to take it a little bit slower and do what the day would allow for me to do.  If it did not get done, it could wait another day.  When I finished that call I sat to relax for a little while.  I decided to make my next move be a lot slower in pace.  I decided to return back to doing good work instead of faster work.  My next move was feeling a lot better.

As if by magic, the project finished with no more hitches.  My pace was respectful and my work was slow and calculated.  The work was improved and the project finished just before dark settled in.  Some extraordinary things happened to make the rest of my work fall kindly into place.  I found two pieces of wood exactly cut to the dimensions I needed.  Advantage, me.  I discovered a better way to seal up the bottom of the insulation box that saved me about 30 minutes of time.  I quit worrying about the plumbing issue and will complete that portion of the project on another day.  My mind was cleared of distracting thoughts.  My next moves were more cleanly focused and each step went a lot smoother.  Advantage, me.

My wife arrived just after I had put everything away, neatly.  I was done with the insulation box and the only thing remaining to be done is the pipe repair.  It was now dark.  She asked me why I had all of the lights on outside?  I said, "Just in case I needed them."  We went inside to make dinner.

Why add disadvantage to your next move?  Clean up your thoughts.  Clean up your interference's.  Permit some flexibility.  Stay calm.  Remain level headed.  Do good work, regardless of how you feel the pressure to finish.  Why add disadvantage to your next move?

Until next time...