Are you willing to stick to a task ’til completion

I’ve been working on an editing project for my first book – I planned to do a promotion early this year and while checking for minor edits, I found a few old bad writing habits I wanted to correct. 

So a quick check of the book turned into 2 months (so far) of editing!  

I was talking to a friend yesterday about it and she was complimenting me on my self-discipline. 

Because it takes a lot of that to stick with the editing. Especially when I’d much rather be working on book 3. 

But I realised a few years ago that getting stuff right (and good) takes time. 

It takes as long as it takes. Which sometimes feels like forever. 

I am tempted to stop, to give up, to go do something shinier and more fun (fun is not a word I’d use to describe editing). But I want the book to be edited. 

Actually, I want the book to be as good as it can be. Which means editing. 

And it strikes me that people often compliment me on sticking with a project, even when I am sick to death of it, even when I want to scream in frustration, even when I just don’t wanna any more. 

And I appreciate the validation. But isn’t that how shit gets done? You climb the mountain one step at a time. You write the book one word at a time. You edit the book one word at a time. 

Hour after hour, you keep moving. Until you get where you want to go. Even when it gets hard. Even when you get bored. Even when you’d rather do just about anything else. 

Are you willing to stick to the task to completion? Are you willing to keep stepping forward so you can complete something? Are you willing to brave the boredom, relish the resistance, dodge the distractions? 

As far as I know, it’s the only way to complete a project. Step by painstaking step, despite any resistance you encounter. 

It sounds painful doesn’t it? Sometimes it is painful. Sometimes you feel like it’ll never be done and you want to throw the project into the sea and be done with it. 

But it’s worth sticking with it to get it done. Even though I can’t say editing has brought me much joy (although the opportunity to use the word poppycock made me smile for hours), the joy and relief I will feel when it’s finally done is worth it. 

Honest. 

I talk a lot to clients about incompletions and unfinished projects that drain their energy and take up brain space (not to mention the self-criticism that they inspire).  

It can be hard to finish, so sometimes we give up, we stop, we let the project languish at the bottom of a pile. Sometimes that’s the right thing, to let something go. But if it’s still nagging at you, it’s not done with you. 

So you either need to get back to it, or let it go properly. If you decide to get back to it, and you find yourself struggling, just keep swimming. One painstaking step at a time will see it done. 

And so it is with this editing project. One day soon it will be finished. And do you know the funny thing? I won’t even remember the painful, boring, painstaking bits in 6 months time. I’ll just be basking in the joy of completion. 

I’m lying, I’ll be onto the next task – joyfully writing book 3 and ignoring the fact that I’ll have to go through this bloody editing process again! 

PS if you’re having trouble getting those incompletions finished, drop me a line and let me know what’s going on – if I have wisdom to share on where you’re at, it’s yours. 

PPS You know I do a different daily practice every month? Well, not in April. April is Joy Challenge time – a brilliant excuse to incorporate joy into your life, have some fun and let good stuff happen. Come join me!

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