Just Do It Now
Last weekend, I had the unique disadvantage of filling my kitchen drawer with cow’s blood.
No, you haven’t stumbled upon the site of some satanic cult. Read on and I’ll explain.
I was making beef stew, and it was time to brown the beef. I sliced open the package and plopped the pieces of beef into a pan of bubbling butter. With the meat sizzling safely on the stovetop, I moved back toward the cutting board to chop more carrots.
I glanced at the empty beef package on the counter and thought, “eh I’ll toss it out later.”
That was a mistake.
When I turned my attention back toward the stove, I saw the empty package leaking its liquid contents onto the countertop. Amidst a chorus of creative profanity, I scooped up the package and tossed it into the trash.
“Everything alright over there?” asked my wife from the next room.
“Yup, all goo—god dammit!” I replied as I turned around to see the blood dripping over the edge of the counter and into the drawer. The drawer where we keep our tea bags and pot holders—the two most absorbent things in the kitchen.
I spent the next ten minutes salvaging tea, emptying the drawer, wiping it down, and re-loading everything that didn’t need to be washed or thrown away.
If I had only tossed the empty package as soon as I’d put the meat in the pan…
Just do it now is a mantra I often replay in my head as I’m bouncing from task to task. It’s one I forgot to obey while cooking my beef stew, much to my regret.
But it’s a good practice to keep in mind. My general rule is if it takes less than two minutes, just do it now. Do it while you’re thinking of it. Do it before moving on. Do it so it’s done.
How often do we leave little tasks for later when doing them now would be just as convenient? I know I’m guilty.
Whether it’s putting my plate in the dishwasher when I finish lunch, responding to a quick email question as soon as it hits my inbox, or cleaning the crap out of my car when I return from a road trip, I often delay longer than I should.
That’s easy, I can do it later.
If it’s easy, why not do it now?
Why not do your future self a favor and knock out the task while it’s top of mind?
In his book Discipline is Destiny, Ryan Holiday writes about the importance of keeping a clean desk. He uses the example of Robert Moses—the man responsible for completing an astonishing number of public works projects in New York City. Moses had a system of processing tasks as soon as they came across his desk.
Nothing sat and turned stale. Nothing piled up. Nothing waited til tomorrow.
Moses kept a clean desk. And not only did he get things done but he did things well. As Holiday writes, “a person comfortable with a messy workspace will become comfortable with sloppy work.”
If we fail to do the little things, they’ll pile until they prevent us from doing the big things. Or like my stew meat debacle, they’ll become a much bigger problem than if we deal with them promptly.
Not to mention the impact on other people.
When you fail to respond to the email, your employee is stuck in a holding pattern.
When I fail to put my plate in the dishwasher, it’s in my wife’s way when she’s trying to cook.
When you fail to wipe down your barbell at the gym, the next person has to deal with your sweaty, chalky mess.
I’m not suggesting you let every notification interrupt your workflow. What I’m recommending is to do the tiny tasks that take almost no time but help to maintain order.
As Gretchen Rubin says, “Outer order, inner calm.”
Just doing it now helps with outer order. Outer order helps with inner calm. Inner calm helps you do a better job on the things that matter. Whether that’s writing the book, cooking the meal, training for the race, or building the business, take two seconds to preserve your inner calm.
If nothing else, it’ll keep you from having a drawer full of cow’s blood.
Photo by Terry Vlisidis on Unsplash
