Are you good at starting and finishing projects? No? Well, then you are like most of us, and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with starting something new and leaving it unfinished, occasionally. It’s that one word I want you to pay attention to: occasionally. We’ve all done things we’ve not enjoyed doing. The dishes, folding the washing, or sorting our taxes are not exactly thrilling jobs for most people. Yet we know we have to do them, which is why we make an effort to. The starting and then failing to finish the job is where the problem is.

You may be asking yourself, how is AJ going to get me to finish my to-do list or finish my pile of ironing. Well, whether it’s personal or work-related, the principle remains the same: we abandon projects because we quit trying and lose focus. I’m going to explain to you in depth the reasons behind why we’re great at starting but not finishing projects. It’s this knowledge that will give you the power to avoid getting stuck in the future and get stuff done!

Let Me Explain Why We’re Not Good at Finishing Projects

I’d love to paint a picture for you. Your business is doing well, and you’re at the level you feel comfortable at financially investing in a course. This course will help you to master an aspect of your business you know you need help with. Sound realistic so far? You sign up, pay over the cash and receive the first instalment of the course. You schedule a time to work through the modules, do any recommended reading and complete the multi-choice test at the end. Brilliant! You’re on a roll and are feeling motivated, excited and are rewarded by seeing the progress you have made so far.

The second instalment arrives. You browse through it and plan to return to it later on today. That, later on, turns into next week, but hey, you still go back to read it. You skip some of the reading, as it’s only recommended and not compulsory. You do the multi-choice test and sigh with relief when you pass.

Then comes number three. You see the email, but don’t open it. It’s not until you receive a reminder email that you remember. You still don’t open the third instalment though. Oops.

Does any of this sound familiar? When we start something new, we enter into the fun and exciting period. We have plenty of definite ideas about what life will look like when we finish, and we quickly see results which motivate us to continue. The problem is, progress slows, the changes are small, and it seems completing the project is too much of a chore, too much hard work. Why continue to do something which seems too hard? Because after all, finishing projects sucks.

Why Does Finishing Projects Suck?

There’s a writer called Michael Loop. He freely admits he is not good at finishing projects. However, he decided to look into things deeper, to find out where he was failing. He created a four-piece graph which visually explains why finishing projects is so darn challenging.

http://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-half-life-of-joy/

You start off with peek joy. Things are moving, and you are pumping. This is quickly followed by a slowing down and thinking more about what you are doing during depth and shaping. The slog happens next, and it’s all too easy to give up because nothing seems to be happening. Don’t even think about finishing, which comes next. It goes on and on and on and you never get there. Until you do, and that can come as a bit of a shock.

I quite like how this graph visualises what we go through when completing a project. It makes it easier for me to see that while things are tough now, there is an end in sight eventually. Let me explain how you can reach that finishing line.

How to Start What You Finish

You know me, I’m all about doing what works for you and your business. You may be thinking that not finishing projects are working fine for me now, thank you AJ. But is it really? Do you enjoy knowing that you’ve invested time and money into something but not followed through?

I thought not. The thing is, while it’s easy to give up and not complete something, it’s also easy to keep going and finish it too. Yes, I said easy. It’s easy when you understand the reasons why you give up because you can put things into place which will help you to keep going.

This can be done by:

• Noticing your pattern of starting and stopping – do you do it with all tasks, or just certain types? At what stage does a project move into the too hard basket? What reasons do you give yourself for not continuing with the project?
• Being selective – don’t just jump into something because everyone else is. Do your research and look carefully enough to be certain it is something you are passionate about. If you’re half interested or half think it may be useful for your business, it will end up half finished.
• Budgeting your resources – work out how long and how much time it will take you to complete the project. Create a timeline which lays out what you will do and when. Block out time in your diary to do each of these steps. Reward yourself at specific points throughout, not just at the completion.
• Remaining focused – right at the start, write down the reasons why you want to finish the project. What will life look and feel like for you when you do. Stick this up in a prominent position to help you regain focus when the going gets tough, which it will.
• Track your progress – each small step counts, and while things may move slowly, they’re moving forwards and that’s what counts. Track your progress in a way that suits you.
• Quit being a perfectionist – if you want every little thing perfect, it won’t happen. Life isn’t like that, and neither will your project be. Stop trying to dot all your I’s and cross all your t’s, and instead be happy with a few missing characters (even if you’re an English teacher).

To become a finisher, you need to do something worth finishing. I’m going to explain what that means next.

How to Become a Finisher

By getting this far through my article, I know you have done some hard slog. You’re started off excited to learn why you never finish things you start. This quickly moved onto to an understanding of why you give up so early on in a project. Then things slowed down while you read through the things you could do to become a finisher.

Well, the good news is the finish line is in sight. Most importantly, you become a finisher by finishing what you start. You finish something because you started something that was worth finishing. You did your research into what the project was, determined that the pros outweighed the cons and made a plan to get it done. You’re a finisher because you stayed focused and that’s the key.

Now, go and have a coffee to reward yourself for finishing this article because you deserve it!