“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it’s the same problem you had last year.”

That quote is credited to John Foster Dulles, who served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

But with apologies to Secretary Dulles, I’ve been dealing with a pretty big problem for quite a while now.

It’s my messy garage. 

I’ve had this garage since 1986, and it really hasn’t been organized since, well, 1986. The clutter drives me nuts, and it’s a constant struggle to find whatever I’m looking for. 

Also, my T-Bird is parked in that bunker, and I certainly don’t want anything to damage it.

My dream is for a neat, well-organized garage. Everything has a place, and everything’s in its place. And I’ve been striving to make that dream a reality.

But I’ve been busy running a business. That’s my first excuse.

My mobility isn’t what it used to be. Excuse number two.

Well, last week, I grew tired of my excuses. So, I took a day off to work on it.

And I’m proud to say that my efforts were successful. After a full day of hard work, I was able to check a big box off the ol’ to-do list.

But it’s more than just a clean garage. It’s peace of mind. And it gives me a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment.

Truth is, I should’ve done it a long time ago. But I kept putting it off because I thought it would be a bigger undertaking than it actually was.

How long is your to-do list? Y’know, if you don’t knock a few of ‘em off every now and then, they start stacking up. Before long, that little pile looks more like Mount Everest.

Here’s some advice: First, identify your tasks. Next, come to grips with the fact that you can’t work on all of them at once. It’s too overwhelming. They either won’t get done, or they’ll get done incorrectly. And third, implement a process to get stuff done. That means picking one to-do so you can to-do it to the best of your ability.  

And when that first project is completed, it feels oh so sweet.

So, what problem do you need to tackle?

Just take a deep breath, focus on the prize, and take on those tasks one garage at a time.

Be well. Stay well.

Francis Pass

P.S. -  Research shows that your short-term memory can only hold about seven objects at any given time. That’s why phone numbers have seven digits. But I don’t think folks have to remember phone numbers anymore, do they?