The next time you have a massive task facing you, you are likely to see it as a swamp filled with alligators. These menacing creatures are the ridiculously sneaky (yes, ridiculously so) critters that keep you from crossing the swamp, a.k.a. finishing your task. In fact, these large-mouth bozos will do worse: they scare you from even starting.
You’re not alone. We all have swamps. We certainly have fears. But what if the alligator is mechanical? Or he just ate? Or he’s lazy? Or maybe, you take an alligator gun and shoot it? Yeah. Not PC, but hey. This is YOUR swamp. It’s YOUR task. Your life. Your goal. As Peggy Noonan said in a recent WSJ column,
“Never let the idiots stop you.”
In this case, think of the alligator as an idiot. A gatekeeper moron who says you do not possibly deserve to accomplish the task upon which you are embarking, in this case, crossing “his” swamp. The gatekeeper/idiot/alligator moron says, “You’re too young, too old, dumb, male, female, tall, short, green.” Pick one.
“Yes, but…”
There you go! Stop. Look in the mirror. Right now! What do you see? An alligator! Yup. We are our own worst alligators.
You can always drain the swamp. Just sayin’. Be brave.
Oh, my goodness. I had this fine idea that everyone is great at starting projects and that finishing is the problem. I forgot that many times people fail to start because they fear they will never finish. So finishing is still a huge challenge, no doubt about it, but the more pernicious problem is that a finely honed track record of non-finishing keeps people from the unbridled giddiness that comes from starting something. That, and fear of looking really dumb.