So, it’s now March. And I am STILL in the completion phase of the workshop I ‘finished’ in December. When I put it like that, I wonder what in God’s name I’ve been doing for the last 2 months…but I know there’s been a lot of little bitty things, plus the sales page, bonus material, promotional work, and an ebook I accidentally wrote in the middle of the completion of the project.
Plus, it’s not like I can just work on this 40 hours a week – I have clients and other Very Important Tasks to do. The truth is, it just takes AGES to complete things. To take action on all the ideas you’ve had to improve and polish and promote and market and tidy up and do all the itty bitty things that look like they’ll take 5 minutes, but actually take 5 hours. It all takes time.
And that’s why I’m not great at finishing…because I’m bored of it now, I want to move onto my next shiny project. But this is when I need to just keep going, to move through the boredom and discomfort and ignore the shiny distractions calling me away from completing this project. I need to stay with it, even though I’ve had enough of it now, even though I want to get on with something else, even though it’s mostly done.
There’s still actions left on the to do list. There are still things I want to do for me to see the workshop as complete. Some actions have been crossed off as unnecessary or overkill – I’m not being a perfectionist, I’m just being thorough. God, I hate saying that. I don’t want to be thorough. I don’t want to complete, I want to move on to my next wonderful idea.
But if I don’t complete this, it takes up brain-space, nags at me, bothers me and I move on knowing I didn’t do the best I could with it. I took the easy way out, I got distracted, I left a half-finished job behind (which I’m always doing – I often walk into rooms to find something half done I was working on 2 hours ago that I’d totally forgotten about.) What’s more, I haven’t honoured the creative inspiration, or the people whose lives could be impacted by my creations…because I was half-assed.
Ouch.
For Superstar Starters like you and me, finishing is hard, it’s painful, it’s boring, it’s tedious. It’s not fun and glamorous and a joy to talk about like the shiny new things you’re going to create. But it is necessary, because without completion, you’re leaving part of your brilliance on the shelf. Without completion, the creative genius within you never gets to the people it was meant for. Without completion, you can’t fully move on to the next shiny idea.
And frankly, that’s worse than the tedium of finishing. Because I have a gazillion ideas…and all of them will help someone (I hope, many someones). And I don’t want to leave any of my brilliance on the shelf. I want to let that little light of mine shine. And it’s not about me – the creative inspiration came through me, but it came from a higher place. And if I don’t finish, I am not serving my people or the higher power that trusted me with the work. Plus, if I never get this damn thing completed, I can’t move onto the next FUN project! (It’s like finishing your dinner so you can have puddin!)
So, let’s get some projects finished eh? Here are my top tips for completion:
1. Delegate. Hey, I said it’s got to be done. No one said it has to be you that does it. What can you delegate?
2. Get help. If you struggle with finishing, get some support, cheerleading, accountability, hugs, kicks up the arse if you need them. What help do you need with finishing? Get it.
3. Be gentle with yourself – you’re doing your best. Beating yourself up over how much you haven’t done, how much you suck at finishing, how lazy/stupid/irresponsible you are isn’t helping, so stop it.
4. Sit your butt in the chair and get it done! Make space for it in your calendar and crack on with it. This afternoon, that’s what I’ll be doing – it’s in the diary, and I will be getting on with it. The quicker you start, the quicker you’ll finish! Mom was right, even if it is an incredibly annoying saying!
5. Stop telling yourself how hard it is to finish stuff. Yes, it is. No, it might not be your forte, it’s not mine either. But if you just keep working on it, one day it’ll be done. It’s that simple. Not hard at all, but we make it harder by getting all sulky and resisting the call to finish!
6. Think about how it’s going to feel when you’re done. Not just the joy in the completion of a product or project, but what that will mean to those who get to enjoy it now it’s done, and what you will then be able to move on to!
7. Have a lot of dance breaks. Dance breaks make everything better – they raise your energy, they’re fun and you get great inspiration while shaking your thang. Plus, finishing is a pain in the arse, so you gotta make it enjoyable somehow!
What are your top finishing tips? I’d love to hear them…because I have this project to finish, and it’s taking me forever!
Related Posts
Comments
12 responses to “Finishing Isn’t Glamorous or Fun…It’s Just Necessary”
Thanks Tomer – yes, it’s definitely helpful to know we’re not the only ones who find finishing…challenging! 😀 xx
I like this article Donna – completing projects is one thing I’ve been working on a lot over the years but especially in recent years and your article also came at a good time for me when knowing there’s someone else going through a finishing phase has been very helpful. thank you!
That’s a really important point Heidi – going with your feel good and trusting the process. Sometimes the reason we’re not finishing is because it’s right to do something else! <3 x
I’m great at getting shit done, but sometimes I feel like my methods are a little floaty, but they work. I do what I feel like doing in each day. If I don’t want to finish something, its usually because I have other things I’d rather be doing. I then trust that, leave it, and trust that I’ll come back to it when I feel like it. It always works. It has a different timing than what the head wants to get done, but it gets done.
Love Dance breaks! x
You’re welcome Eva…and I should have also added, when you’ve finished CELEBRATE! Good luck with your completions. xxx
😀 I think dance breaks should be compulsory Rachel!!! Lol. xx
Fab post, this is exactly my problem. I have these super ideas and then I just get bored with them. I looooove the dance break idea. Thank you!! xx
Great tips, I especially like the dance breaks, they really work 🙂
Yes, I can be too…and it’s the number one reaction I see clients have too, but it’s so counter-productive! As Angela said, sometimes you need some tough love…but if it’s not working or helping, self-loving is the way to go! xxx
It is…and it’s so much less fun than starting something new and fab! But you’re right. Tough love. Get on with it! 😀 That’s what I have got to do! xxx
These are some great points. I love that you included “Be gentle with yourself”, that’s a very important one for me because I tend to be self-critical and reluctant to put things out into the world because of it.
getting to the finish line is so tough! Thanks for sharing these tips! Sometimes you have to give yourself a little tough love and just sit there until it’s done 😉