One evening I looked at the dirty dishes. I wanted to do them, but I didn’t want to do them. Know what I mean? I wanted the result–clean dishes and a clean sink–but I didn’t want to do the work to get the result. Finally, the thought “The Buck Stops Here” came to mind, and I rolled up my sleeves, filled the dishpans, and got to work.
US president Harry S. Truman popularized the motto “The Buck Stops Here”. He kept a plaque engraved with those words on his desk. He used it as a reminder that although he could seek advice from others, in the end, it was his responsibility to make the decisions.
Now I use the phrase as a motivational aid. Most of the time, I use it to get myself to do household tasks that need done and don’t take long to do, but I just don’t feel like doing. As I plan this year to get rid of clutter and do more intensive cleaning, I know I’ll want to keep that phrase in my figurative “back pocket” to pull out.
P. Booher
Author’s Note: If you’d like to read another blog post on this subject of motivation, check out: Wake Up and Be Amazing! here:
Country Ripples 
Thank you for this post sister, and the historical significance of the phrase, which I didn’t know. I can see it applying to much in my routine, but my imagination sees Jesus pointing to my Bible beside me saying “Alan, the buck stops here!”
Alan, you’ve got a good imagination! Thanks for reading and commenting!