And, the door has been stuck and the light switch hanging off the wall since it was finished.
Why have I tolerated this? It takes a hip shove to get the door open or closed. I've had to reach around the corner and slap the light switch to get it turned on. Annoying, but not debilitating.
So, "Why have I tolerated this?" must be big question! How many areas of my life am I tolerating something that is annoying but not causing enough pain to fix it? The toilet paper holder that tilts slightly. The office chair that can't seem to hold the seat at the desired height. The lack of tongs in the kitchen. The outdoor sprinklers that either over-water or starve the plants. The list could go on if I gave it a little more thought.
Yikes! What to do?
Today, I sanded down the offending part of the closet door and replaced the switch cover. It feels wonderful, and the door is performing as expected. No one would ever notice that it is working correctly.
And, perhaps this is what it took for me to get it done:
1. Consider how it served me to put up with this annoyance:
"I don't spend time on stupid stuff."
"I don't have to challenge my lack of fix-it skills."
"A little pain in my life reminds me I'm not all that special"
2. Ask, "Will I let go of all that silliness to perhaps get the good feeling afterward?" Yes. (This is the crux move. Without a yes here, nothing would ever happen.)
3. Get it on a committed fix-it list (where it has languished for years).
4. Took a small incremental step forward. (Put it on my calendar).
5. Got it done.
While it seems like a complicating process, it works. And, my closet door doesn't stick.
