Being the Tortoise: Enjoying the Race

I wrote a blog a few months back about how I was working on a project, and working on it slowly, a few pieces at a time until I was done.  Well, I finished that project last month.  So my slow and steady approach worked.

I didn't get it done when I thought I would, which left me feeling somewhat stressed during the closing hours before the deadline; but I did get it done in time.  However, when I was done, I no longer cared.  People really liked it and I was pleased with its reception.  But it's been a month now, and I no longer care about it; not like I cared about it before.  *Sigh.  That is what happens with projects.  You can't wait to finish them, but once you do, all the fun is gone.

It's like what Mary Kay Ash (founder of Mary Kay cosmetics) said in her autobiography, you're happiest when you're closest to reaching your goal.  Not after.  Once you've reached it, you've moved on.

It's a strange thing, that.  And after all the projects I've done, it still surprises me.  When you're working on something, you fantasize how happy you'll be when you're done.  But once you're done, there's very little joy.  There's satisfaction, but the huge, overwhelming joy you expected doesn't come.  You put the finished project aside mentally -- and perhaps physically -- and your mind already starts turning to the other things you have to do.  This happens all the time.  Because, as one person wisely said, "Your inbox is never empty."  You will always have something to do.  If you live your life thinking you'll only be happy when you finish everything, you'll never be happy.

Thus, going back to the tortoise and the hare analogy, perhaps slow and steady not only wins the race, slow and steady gets to enjoy the race as well.  Looking back, I have some fond memories of working on that project.  If we were all like the hare and we raced through life, then we might get a lot of things done, but when would we ever get a chance to enjoy any of it?  Only if we ever gave ourselves a chance to look back and wish we had enjoyed things more.  But that wouldn't be enjoyment then.  It would be regret.

I wonder then, if maybe the reason that it is taking me so long to finish another project is because I care too much about it.  I really want to finish it, but at the same time, I don't.  Because I know what'll happen when I finish.  I won't care.  And maybe I still want to care; maybe I enjoy caring about it.  But I guess what I have to realize is that there'll be other projects to care about after this one, and other projects after that.  

So, if you know you're going to finish the race eventually, you might as well enjoy the journey there.  Like the tortoise perhaps.