Uncommon

Donna Otto, author and speaker, has a great motto that goes something like this:

"The Common begin...the Uncommon finish"

Think about that for a moment. It's the 'everyday gal' that begins a task with gusto, only to move on to another endeavor, leaving the first undone. Donna says that is the common thing to do, everybody does it. But does that make it right?

I still struggle with this syndrome. I think women today have so many good choices it is easy to move from one task to another never really allowing ourselves to be accountable and complete a job well.

Self-examination on a regular basis helps me stay focused. It helps me complete a job or a goal or a task because I am reminded of why I am doing it. I re-commit and move forward.

I have learned there may be times when I quit along the way, but that is after I have evaluated what and why I am doing something and then I MAKE that choice. When I was younger, I used to flit from task to task...system to system but I think with self-evaluation I am more aware of completing a worthwhile exercise and I reap the benefits as I continue to evaluate my growth.

When my kids were little I made them memorize this jingle:

When a job is first begun,
Do it well and get it done

Whether it is big or small,
Do it well or not at all!

I said it along with my kids for years, but it took years for me to practice what I preached. Self-evaluation opened my eyes to what I wasn't getting done. It encouraged me to stay the course.

If you decide to make 2010 a year to evaluate your goals and priorities, think of yourself as 'Uncommon' and be proud!