Don't Wait for the Perfect Hammer
How many bookshelves have I neglected to build while waiting for the perfect hammer?
It’s a trap I’ve fallen into throughout my life. I’ll finish the big project once I rearrange my office. I’ll start the new story once I find my favorite journal. I’ll begin my daily drawing routine once the new pencils I’ve ordered arrive.
At a higher ed seminar, I attended a decade ago on creating visual content, a very smart presenter was asked for her camera recommendation. She replied, holding up her smartphone, that the best camera was the one you have at hand. Keep in mind, this was in the era of the iPhone 4 or 5, long before today’s super HD smartphones. This advice has stuck with me, though I still struggle to follow it at times.
Waiting for those new pencils to arrive, searching for that lost notebook, rearranging the furniture in my home office, these are all tactics that keep me from doing the work. How will I ever build the bookshelf if I continually wait for the perfect hammer?
It’s the first Monday of the new year. Let’s grab the hammer at hand and swing.
Photo by Adam Sherez on Unsplash
