“Powering Through Projects” is the secret to creating the momentum to bring about positive change. It is the vision and energy carrying us from the beginning of an idea to the completion of a desire. Projects take deliberate effort and are the lifeblood of changing your life.

"Projects" are tasks outside your daily routine that make life easier, accomplish something of value, or prepare you for your future.

“Powering Through” is the momentum to start and finish a project. It is about finding the motivation to move ahead and remove the obstacles that hold you back.

Most problems in doing a project are two-fold:

• taking risks to pursue a project 
• knowing how to engage and complete a project

If you acquire the skill of powering through projects, you can simplify your lifestyle sooner than you think. Then you can initiate change anytime you want.

Your Project Quotient (Your P. Q.)
If you are feeling like Pam, you may need to look at your recent history of taking on new projects. In the questions below, write in A, B, C, D, or E to reflect the last time you did the project in question:

Answer Key
A. one to three months ago                        D. three to ten years ago
B. four to twelve months ago                      E. Never
C. one to three years ago

When was the last time you:

1. ___ bought a new outfit and wore it?

2. ___ returned an item and got your money back?

3. ___ invited company over for dinner?

4. ___ took a vacation?

5. ___ got a new hairstyle?

6. ___ redecorated a room at your house?

7. ___ washed and vacuumed your car?

8. ___ completed your taxes before March 30?

9. ___ put money in a savings account?

10. ___ wrote down a list of dreams for the rest of your life?

Where Do You Rate?

If the majority of your answers were in the A and B categories, you have a good chance of accomplishing more projects very soon.

A. one to three months ago                        D. three to ten years ago
B. four to twelve months ago                      E. Never
C. one to three years ago

If most of your answers were in the C, D, and E range, you need to get your momentum going again.

Your answers are an indicator of three things:

• how rusty you are at making changes in your life.

• how well you follow through on things you initiate.

• how much thought you have put into the next couple years of your life.

If it has been awhile since you have made a change, we need some practice to work up to some bigger changes. Here’s the plan. I will teach you how to do small, medium, and large projects. When we are finished, I have no doubt that you will be able to accomplish any project you set out to do.

Projects: Your Choice
At any given time, we have to fit specific projects into our lives. Just for fun, check off what size project you would consider each of these:

Small, Medium or Large?

Painting a room
Weeding the garden
Cleaning the garage
Shampooing the carpets
Hosting a birthday party

Framing pictures
Organizing photos
Doing your taxes
Having a garage sale
Shopping for Christmas presents

Cleaning out e-mails
Getting a broken clock repaired
Refinishing furniture
Purchasing a new appliance
Dealing with finances

Worthwhile Projects

Once you identify what projects intrigue you, the next step is to determine whether the project is worth doing. Ask yourself:

a.  What steps would I have to take to afford the time and money involved to do it?

b.  Would this be a major or minor interruption to my life?

c. Would the benefits outweigh the obstacles?

But my favorite question is this:

If I don’t do this project, how long am I willing to live with this as it is?

When I asked my realtor if we should remodel the master bathroom, she wisely said, “If you are going to be here longer than two years, then, yes. That way it will benefit the resale, and you would get to enjoy it as well.” That is usually the motivation to do something sooner rather than later – it benefits you now and later.