A Pilgrim's Journal

Employee:	It was theoretically impossible for me to work this week. Everything I needed to do required me to do something else first, until it all looped back on itself like a mobius strip.
Boss:	Maybe you should make a to-do list.
Employee:	As if I had a pencil.

I was reminded of this when reading Proverbs 15 earlier this week:

	The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns:
	but the way of the righteous is made plain.
		Proverbs 15:19

I can attest to this. When I have a todo list of my own, and things don't get finished, they often become roadblocks later. And not just scheduling roadblocks, but mental roadblocks, where all my pending tasks become like a brain cloud that holds me back from starting. The todo list gets bigger, things pile up, and it gets overwhelming.

On the flip side, when I'm able to focus on just one thing, and finish it, and cross it off my todo list, it is like a breath of fresh air to my schedule. It gives me a boost, a near exhilaration of accomplishment (especially when the task involves some complex programming issue that got solved in an elegant way). It almost makes the other todo list items easier.

Very often the key is focus. I'm currently working on a feature for Barry that, due to interruptions from other more important projects, has taken over a month. The feature is not that complicated, but it is basic to the architecture, and requires careful thought and planning. When interrupted, the jungle path must be re-cut again later.

But focus is not the only key. Sometimes just plain old dogged diligence will get the job done when elegance and focus don't. That sometimes rubs me the wrong way, as a programmer, but it's true, and therefore something I need to accept. I've seen it in action in my friends, and it is an inspiration to behold.