Let’s Just Do It Now

I had an enormous painting that was sitting in the corner of my living room. It had been there for several weeks since I brought it home from the office. This particular art piece was an oversized print of one of my all-time favorites by Roy Lichtenstein 'Drowning Girl.' Even though the print was so large that it blocked my bookcase, I had let it sit in my living room for almost a month. My good friend Kym was visiting from Melbourne, and he asked about the painting. "That's a very cool piece, what are you going to do with it?" I told Kym where I planned to hang the art and that it was an enormous pain to install. Since he was staying for a week, we could always do it later. I wanted to take Kym out to dinner at Luca and show him around Denver. "Let's just do it now," Kym replied. We stopped for only about 5 minutes, and the painting was in place. Life is full of lessons if we are paying attention. The time my friend spent with me changed me. Here are a few of the Kym-isms I took away:

Do It Now

Don't procrastinate. The longer it takes to start doing something, the harder it will be to begin. Waiting will inevitably make it less appealing to start, but once it's underway, you have momentum making the next step easier.

Know What You Need

My friend spends half the year traveling the world. In doing so, he has mastered the art of being productive from anywhere. Kym does this by understanding what is required to work effectively. Things like having a mouse or pairing a tablet for a second monitor impact productivity for me, so I never leave home without them. 

Take the time to do it right

Another observation was in how mindful Kym was in the smallest task. Even preparing a cup of tea was a precise process. For as long as I could remember, I had perpetually rushed throughout my day. Now, I find joy in little things, because I am present in the moment. This intention allows me to do better work, and I enjoy life more.

I should share that I have incredible respect and immense love for Kym. He is one of the smartest and most interesting people I know, and I am honored to call him a friend and Forum mate. So when the alarm goes off early, and I remember him saying, "Just do it now," it gives me a little boost to start my day.