Talane’s Blog of the Week, January 30, 2006

Petty Annoyances Revisited

Last week we talked about making your wish list for 2006 and now I’ve got another list for you to make: your list of petty annoyances. This is not a to do list. It is a list of all the things, big and little that bug you—the things you’ve been putting up with and tolerating for whatever reason. This list can include everything from the black gunk that is collecting around the bathroom tub to the car alarms going off at all hours in your neighborhood. Things you can control like the crack in your rear view mirror and things you can’t control like having to take your shoes off at the airport. Most people tolerate between 60-100 things so keep writing until you can’t think of anything else.

Then, like the wish list, you can tuck this away and forget about it and you’ll discover that just by writing it down, things will start to happen. Better yet, dedicate a full day on the weekend to blast through all the ones you can. Or hire someone to do it for you. I’ve yet to have a client say they regretted spending money to eliminate a petty annoyance.

One of my clients, a super successful Wall Street guy, said that of all the tips in my book, (Tip #1. Eliminate the Petty Annoyances) he thought was just fluff. I explained that, while these small things look insignificant, they prevent people from reaching their goals effortlessly. Petty annoyances are the barnacles of life. Huge ocean liners get pulled out of the sea at great expense so they can scrape off the barnacles. One would think that such small critters attached to the side of such massive ships would make no difference. Not so. The barnacles create a tremendous amount of drag or resistance, so while the ship can still make headway towards its destination, it does so at greater expense (more fuel is required) so that it actually does make sense to get rid of the barnacles. The same applies to your own life. The petty annoyances look like small, insignificant things compared to your bigger goals. What people fail to take into consideration is the cumulative impact of the drag and resistance they create. Yes, you can still reach your goals, but it will take more time and effort and money if you are lugging around a list of 60 petty annoyances.

All my clients report a tremendous burst in energy when they eliminate these annoyances—energy they can now put toward their more exciting projects. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to get rid of these annoyances so that you can sail smoothly toward your goals for the rest of the year.

If you do nothing else, at least take five minutes to write the list!

All the best,
Talane