Upgrade Your PQ (Project Quotient)
Life offers two great gifts—time and the ability to choose how we spend it. Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.
—Richard I. Winword
“I love everything you’re saying about moving ahead in life by making a plan for the future, but I’m stuck right now,” began Lynn.
She wanted to finish a guest bathroom remodel and decorating project before hosting a Christmas party for some important people, but time and money were obstacles. Her husband was too busy to do the work himself, and he didn’t want to pay a professional to finish. “What can I do?” she asked.
Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
I empathized with Lynn. What could be worse than getting stuck with something that’s out of your control? Your contractor quits, your spouse won’t help, you run out of money, the materials don’t match. Besides doubling the estimated time and money to complete a project, you need to know what to do when you get bogged down in projects.
On the flip side, nothing is more rewarding than to start a project and see it through to completion. As long as time is marching on, why not get in on the action and upgrade your PQ—your project quotient? Your project quotient is your ability to successfully initiate and complete desired tasks that take from three hours to three months. It’s one of the most satisfying ways to control your future in a positive way.
What’s Your Style?
If you think back to several of your last projects, perhaps you can relate to one of these three trouble spots that can bog you down:
BEGINNING. Slow starters generally hold back for months in making the simple decision to begin. Their motto is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Remember, staying stable can turn into getting stale. Stretch to make some kind of positive change.
MIDDLE. Fast starters have no trouble starting to repair a broken dishwasher on Saturday morning, but they give up when the hardware store doesn’t have the right part in stock. When you’re stuck in the middle, always go forward and finish, even if it means driving to a few other stores to find the necessary part. After all, you’re already halfway there.
END. Steady starters work through 80 percent of the project but lose interest just before completion when there are only a few remaining details.
You’ll feel successful if you bring closure to all projects so you can move freely into the future.
Creating Momentum—Lynn’s Story
Lynn’s Christmas party came and went without the new guest bathroom. Over the next year, she continued to complain about the unfinished bathroom and the long list of projects she and her husband had agreed on but never completed. When I saw her recently, she mentioned they were adding a deck to the house and replacing windows.
“Did you ever finish the bathroom?” I asked.
“Yes, and we’ve done so much else in the last year and a half.” Lynn seemed excited to share the process. “We visited a friend’s remodeled house and saw exactly what we wanted. Our friend got his crew to finish not only our guest bathroom but our master bathroom too.”
Lynn shared that she followed my advice and got three to five estimates thereafter on each project herself. She took a finance course and budgeted their project money. Her CPA husband respected that and became aware of what looked good. He actually found the perfect mirror to finish the guest bathroom project.
They laugh at the role reversal, and now they work together as a team. So far they have also repaired their roof, put in new flooring, and painted several rooms. They’ve found their stride and have a list of what is next.
What Kinds of Projects Upgrade My PQ?
There are several categories of projects that upgrade your PQ. Here are a few:
HOME IMPROVEMENT
By doing a home improvement project, you will join the thousands of weekend warriors who know there is a double benefit: first, you get to enjoy the results every day; and second, you reap the financial rewards when you sell your home.
Paint and redecorate a bedroom each year.
Replace old carpet.
Remodel the kitchen cabinets and countertop.
Upgrade the bathroom lighting fixtures.
ORGANIZING PROJECTS
Clean up cluttered magazine and newspaper piles.
Catch up the photo books and display them on a coffee table or bookcase.
Clear off your desktop and only put back what you like and use.
Toss old files and relabel the remaining folders.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Join a gym or fitness center.
Get a new hairstyle and clothing makeover.
Train for a marathon.
Take advanced courses or complete your degree.
Where Do I Begin?
When considering how to begin on a new project, start with the following:
The longest time frame project you most desire
The project that is logical to contractors—roof, then windows, then interior
Inside project from the ceiling down
Organizing projects from the visible to invisible storage systems
Personal projects, beginning with the most gratifying
If in doubt, start with the project that will bring you the most visible and satisfying success. You will enjoy the completed result (and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner). It will spur you on to do other projects.
And remember, there are many rewards to completing your projects. Moving out of stability in the “same old, same old” mode of life offers many benefits:
It keeps you from being bored.
It gives you a new focus for a season of time.
It gives you a forward momentum to make your future brighter than the pull of the past.
Become a Person of Action
Julie bought beautiful material for new window valances in her home. She wanted to warm up her family room, but she never got around to making them. When she moved five years later, she regretfully tossed the out-dated fabric as well as her dream.
Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can start today. Time moves on, and your dream will die if you don’t take action. Plan, begin, and complete the projects that will walk you into your future.
Become a person of action. When you can’t change your job, your location, or your family, start some personal projects for the satisfaction of making things better. Decide on a time frame, and enlist the help of experienced teachers or friends to ensure you will succeed.
Build your confidence for the future by initiating change and taking charge of the things you can control. Walk into your future with a plan in hand and strategies for completing the projects that matter to you. Finish at least one new project regularly. “Done” brings a positive sense of accomplishment––one you can enjoy often.
It’s Your Time
Upgrade Your PQ (Project Quotient) (Time Strategy #2)
□ Set up a file folder with pictures, brochures, and referrals for each project.
□ Include no-cost steps such as selling or donating things you no longer need or want.
□ Leverage your top three projects with a holiday or special event completion date.
Change is apt to occur when we realize we can change. This is the greatest motivation of all. Nothing sparks the fires of desire more than the sudden realization that you do not have to stay the same.
—John Maxwell