Get'erdone

The thick, sinewy bite of elephant sticks in my throat.  I don’t recognize it, bathed in the juices of intense creative problem-solving.  Even the enthusiasm in which this particular elephant has been marinading hasn’t dissolved the cartilage.  My gag reflex cuts in, and I have to make a decision—spit or swallow.

The get’erdone dip that characterizes every project has arrived.  All I can think about is finishing and moving on.  I’ve arrived at the revision stage.  Pressure—a series of blunt comments, maybe, an inexorable deadline, or a curve ball—threatens to derail me.  I feel overwhelmed.  My heart pounds.  It is a precarious moment.  My decision here will not only colour my project; it will define me as a person. 

Option one is to spit the wad into a napkin.   I can opt for expediency.   Just delete the problem section and replace it with something simpler, faster.  Then, I compromise quality for speed, and the foundation of my high standards begins to crumble.   Like in Amazing Race Canada, I accept the penalty—two hours added to my time, not to mention the disappointment of surrender.

Or, I can swallow.  I can breathe, stay calm, accept the challenge, and work through potential solutions.  Tim Sr. from Amazing Race Canada does just that as he stares down a plate of muktuk in Iqualuit.   Resolute, he downs the ten pieces of whale blubber one at a time in minutes, and the team moves on.  No complaints.  No gags.  Just determination.  Get’erdone.

If I am to eat any more elephants, I must transform my get’erdone mindset from a negative to a positive.  After all, I know the moment is inevitable.  I know what to look for, and I can anticipate my reaction.    Thank you, Tim Sr., for the example of the efficacy of  a positive get’erdone mentality.  Carve through the unpleasantness.  Focus on the task.  Just do it.