I’m one of many children across America whose moms and dads drove their cars with two feet: one on the brake and the other on the gas.
I suppose this became a widespread practice after the advent of the automatic transmission. It’s predecessor, of course, the manual trans, requires two (or more!) feet to manipulate.
Anyway, this habit of two-footed driving is emblematic of what most of us do with our daily lives. We stop-and-go in fits and starts toward our goals.
It takes more time for us to reach our destinations; and the “ride,” the pleasantness of the overall experience is diminished, tremendously.
One of the key ways we do this is by setting a goal, or by agreeing to do something at the request of somebody else, and then by holding back, at least a little in our execution.
For example, my accountant always asks me to organize my documents before tax time, to make it easier and faster to do my returns.
I hate this kind of work! To me, I’d rather get nearly anything else done that sifting through papers, receipts, and miscellaneous clippings, organizing them into piles, rubber banding them, and then sending them off to him.
So, I do a little, get distracted, do a little more, get distracted gain, and continue this way until I get just enough done to satisfy him.
Like a little kid who drags his feet when he has to go to a relative’s house, I make it harder than it has to be.
That’s just one of my “two-footed” driving habits.
What I should be doing, instead, is letting go of holding back. Once I’m in the driver’s seat with any project, I need to just keep driving toward my destination without stopping.
Well, this is one of my resolutions, and I thought I would share it with you.
I couldn’t think of a better opportunity, now that tax time is coming up!
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad.
He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: