By Kurt Rump
How did you fill in the blank?
It depends on what you are getting set to do, doesn’t it? If you are going to run a race, you fill in the blank with an enthusiastic Go! At least you did when you were a kid. Especially after you purchased a new pair of tennis shoes, which you knew would help you run like the wind, faster than ever before.
But what if you are getting set to do something that doesn’t sound like, uh, fun? Like sort through the boxes of old family photos that just sit there on a shelf, mocking you. Then you might fill in the blank with something like, “On your mark… Get set… Whoa!”
In fact, you might be more inclined to stuff those boxes under the bed or hide them in the attic. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
So, I have a couple of questions.
1. What is it about tackling collections of old photos and memorabilia that is so intimidating?
2. And perhaps more importantly, what happens if you keep putting organizing old family photos off?
The answer to the first question is pretty straight forward. When I talk with friends and acquaintances about all the wonderful benefits of connecting with family and friends through the TightKnit web app, it’s all too common to get a response similar to this: “That sounds great, but I don’t know when I’ll find time to sit down and go through everything.”
Sound familiar?
For them, and maybe for you, time is perceived as a barrier. When will you ever be able to set aside enough time? Those boxes of photos might as well be Mount Everest. It’s too big, too much.
You are looking at the whole mountain and feeling defeated. Intimidated.
But here’s the thing. You are looking at this the wrong way. What you need is a change in perspective. Instead of looking at time as a barrier, what if it were your ally?
You don’t lack the time. What you lack is a guide.
When someone scales Mount Everest, they don’t do it alone. They obtain assistance from highly skilled and experienced climbers known as Sherpas. Plus, they typically travel in teams, so it becomes a community effort.
The same can be true for your old photos and memorabilia. You do not have to tackle this mountain alone. Your team is your family and friends. Invite them on the journey with you. And you might consider letting TightKnit be your guide, your Sherpa. We have scaled this summit many times before. Let us help you chart a course.
But how does time become your ally?
It’s simple. You use whatever time is available to you today. Climbers don’t scale Mount Everest in a day. In fact, some days they are not able to make any progress at all. On any given day, they go as far as their circumstances allow.
So it is with you. Today you may have five minutes. Tomorrow you may have 50. The next day you may be booked solid. You take it a day at a time. Let your guide show you how easy it is to make progress, making the best use of whatever time your circumstances permit.
Let me share an observation with you. I have had multiple opportunities to create photo boards in the past. Graduation parties. Weddings. Funerals. You know the drill.
In each of those cases, time was the enemy. I had a deadline. My goal was to thumb through photos as quickly as possible and try to find some “winners” to tack to the board.
However, in every case, I was overcome by the desire to slow down. The more I thumbed through the photos, the more the memories flooded back.
I was usually tackling this task with one or two others. We all reacted the same way. We talked. We laughed. We asked questions. We remembered. It felt good…
Until someone stuck their head in the room and pressed, “Are you guys done yet? We’re running out of time!”
You see, time is only a barrier when it is a variable you cannot control. The joy we were experiencing was being crushed under the weight of time. We had a deadline.
Sure, the clock is always ticking. We are all given the same 24 hours every day. Volumes have been written about time management. I’m not trying to solve the time management dilemma in one blog post.
What I am trying to do is give you a different perspective about something you do not think you have time for: diving into your collection of old photos and memorabilia. Finally starting – or continuing – the process of organizing old family photos. Which brings me to the second question I asked above.
What happens if you do nothing? Keep putting it off?
I can’t tell you how many people I have spoken with that said, “I wish I had talked to my grandparents about this before they died. Now I’ll never know the stories behind the photos.”
Regret is painful.
Time is the enemy more often than the ally.
Make it your ally. Open the box. Invite your family on a journey they are sure to enjoy. Get yourself an experienced guide.
On your mark… Get set… Go!
