Good starter ~ poor finisher

[Vfr]

In my early days of declutter work I joined a "messies" group after a decluttr list I was on for a few years kicked me out. I only stayed at that messies list a week or so before I was kicked out of that list by a group of women that did not like my posts. Yes, much discrimination with online support groups, forums and the like. I try not to take it personally though. As I have been given freely, so I give. I just learn what I can and give back by scattering seeds of recovery in hopes they sprout within others.

Two good concepts came out of that group during my short stay there. The first concept was "one in ~ one out" I modified this to apply to my book buying sickness to allow me to buy one book for every five books I got rid of. Another lady wrote in how she was a "good starter but poor finisher" This applied to many of my own projects at that time. I would keep massing project after project on my back and most would just end up as failure. I had "big eyes" for a lot of things and the only way I knew was to overwhelm myself to keep me from concentrating on the "real" problems in my life. An old sage once said "A constantly busy mind cannot heal itself." Creating problems in our life? Life gives us problems for free, so no need to help bulldoze more problems on our back. Some persons are good starters and good finishers ... but in general, this is not me. I had to mend my ways and learn to accept my comfortable capabilities in order to restructure my life into a new and healthy one. In short I had to learn to put my recovery programs wants first and my wants second.

From Robinson Crusoe:

"Now I saw, though too late, the folly of beginning a work before we count the cost, and before we judge rightly our own strength to go through with it."

[canadian gardener]

some great points there. I agree, one in one out is better if it's one in MORE than one out. LOL just seems to work better who knows why. Law of the universe or something.