Diligence

I’ve written elsewhere that I’ve been the project manager for our porch renovation this fall. What a lot of work! I’ve been surprised.

Diligence is what has been required of me. Serious diligence.

I looked it up in the OED. 1. Of persons: Constant in application, persevering in endeavour, assiduous, industrious; not idle, not negligent, not lazy.

I decided, based on the experience of friends of ours, that constant in application meant two things to me: accountability and transparency.

Every single day of this project, I have written a report to the six Trustees about what happened that day. They were a little surprised at the reports at first, but now, thirty-seven days into the project, they're grateful.

Diligent comes from a Latin verb which means to value or esteem highly. An old adage of my mother's came to me as I wrote this: Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. Turns out it wasn't my mama's at all. Lord Chesterfield get the credit, and the proper quote is:


Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.