Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Beware of the Passing Enthusiasm
Perhaps you remember Mr. Toad of Toad Hall from The Wind in the Willows. Mr. Toad was a tragicomic character, a victim of his own wealth and enthusiasms. He was obsessed first by rowing, then by gypsy caravans until he discovered motor-cars, and that mania eventually landed him in jail.
To my knowledge, none of my clients has ever landed in jail—unless you count a cluttered apartment as a kind of purgatory, which I definitely do—but their enthusiasms have certainly led to some impulse purchases and poor decision-making.
I’m in a stalemate with my younger son. He wants drums. I want to buy him drums, but he insists he won’t take lessons. I say, No drums without lessons, because I think without lessons the drums will end up a passing fancy, hogging space and gathering dust. Ideally, he will take lessons on someone else’s drums, and if he really does love them, then we can make the investment.
I’ve seen rowing machines, slow-cookers, all manner of sporting equipment and musical instruments shoved into corners and abandoned because they were purchased in a flush of enthusiasm. “Yes, I’m going to juice everything! I’ll be so healthy!” “I’ll get him this really cool electric guitar—then he’ll practice!” “We’ll all get Rollerblades and we’ll blade together in Central Park every Sunday.”
I’m not saying that none of these things ever happened, I just want you to be wary and approach with caution. If you want family time, a Sunday picnic in the park requires no investment and no kneepads or helmets. You can just eat your kale without juicing it (and get more fiber). And maybe guitar just isn’t his thing. I don’t want to kill your enthusiasm, in fact, I have faith that the things that you are truly passionate about will grow deeper roots and flourish, if you give them time… before you rush off to make that big purchase.