marathon

One afternoon of a random conversation about televesion shows struck a nerve on me. Halfway of season 2 for Prisonbreak. 3 out of 4 seasons for The OC. 2 seasons of 24. 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Premiere episode of Heroes.

How many things have I started that I managed to follow through to the very end?

I looked around my room, and myself. Books. Magazines. Movies. TV series. Knitted scarves. French class. School. Bulletin board. Wall deco. Puzzles. Archives. Things I started. Things I have not finished. And I'm sure there's a lot more I just could not recall. It stings. And it does not help that it's one of the major complaints I perpetually hear from my mother. I'm only good at the beginning.

But since this is my blog, I am perfectly capable of justifying myself by saying it resulted from a possible attention-retention disorder. I get bored easily. When something is no longer appealing to my interest, I most likely have a tendency to just drop it. And while a bit of spontaneity can be thrilling, a pile of unfinished business sure looks chaotic. Though a drop of chaos can be beneficial for good measure, anything more than that can be horrifying. And just who wants constant chaos out of their sane lives anyway?

That was when I realized the need for a perspective similar to an athlete on a marathon. Whatever was started, must be finished. The game means more than winning or losing. It is a test of endurance, a yardstick of diligence. There are no stop-overs, only hurdles to pass through. There are no finish lines in the middle of the track. And that my vision of the race should not be smogged by exhaustion, stress, or plain laziness. Whatever I started, I MUST finish. And things I know I won't be able to finish should not be even started to begin with.

So I'm starting to take "baby steps". I do realize it won't be easy nor can it be done quickly. I just need to make it a habit (see, I still recalled some insights of Sean Covey on his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens' though I had an infamously defective teenagehood). Plus, it sure feels fabulous having the elation that can only come from a sense of accomplishment, and knowing the series finale so I won't get left out of the conversation.