Unless you happen to be a through-and-through completionist, chances are that sometime in your life you have started a task, project or goal, only to have never finished it. It may not be so bad if it’s few and far between, but it can become a bigger issue if the pattern is frequent or if these tasks are of higher importance.
Whether it’s learning a new skill, completing household chores, undertaking a work project or committing to an exercise routine, here are some ways you can stay focused on the goal and finish what you start.
Know your own personal habits
Think back to previous occasions where you started and didn’t finish something. Write down when you started the activity, and when and why you stopped (a friend or relative may help you with recollection). Look for any consistencies – this can be useful when planning out your next steps.
Research before you commit
Learn the scope of the activity before you go powering towards it. What have others who have attempted the same thing experienced before you? Knowing how others have found trying to learn a new language in a couple of months, or handled a weigh loss plan, can provide you with a good indicator of what to expect.
Take on things you care about
Where possible, try to only take on projects you care about. There is room for improvement through art, hobbies, self-improvement and other non-essential activities. These are things that you can choose to do, and you should have a passion to do it rather than starting something you have no interest in.
This does exclude projects that are essential or are our responsibilities – in these cases, things must be done regardless of whether you are interested in them.
Create a plan and set goals
Structure out your plan ahead of time so you know what is required. Better yet, use a journal, whiteboard or pinboard to create a visual reference in order to help drive your progress and allow you to tick things off as you go.
Keep it realistic
It can be nice to strive for high results, but perfectionism can quickly create delays and cause you to lose motivation due to the continual stress of wanting everything just right. If you find yourself stalled because you can’t get things perfect, put it to the side for a bit and move on the next stage.
You can help keep some tasks in check by breaking things down into smaller goals that are more manageable, allowing you to chip away at things one part at a time. For written activities, you may also find it helpful to use drafts and revision before finally churning out the final version.
COMMIT TO IT
Once you start something, try your hardest to dedicate time to it and stick things out. Whatever plan you create for completion, follow it. Avoid distractions that grant short-term gratification, but that ultimately hinder progress towards your goals – going out to party all weekend may sound appealing in the moment, but sitting down and working on that project will give you more satisfaction when you reach completion.
Focus on the end goal
Find a way to always link back to your final vision – remember that even small amounts of progress add to the whole, and all your hard work will be worth it once you get there. Surround yourself with things that will keep you motivated and focused on your goals (such as the whiteboard/pinboard idea from earlier).
Celebrate the small wins
Acknowledge your accomplishments along the way as you tick things off towards your overall goal. Progress is progress! Every step counts, and sometimes we’re too fixated on the final step that we forget about the others that are in the lead up. Give yourself a pat on the back and take some time to recharge before continuing on.
If it isn’t working, re-evaluate
There may be circumstances where no matter how much you plan or how much passion you had at the beginning, something causes you to lose interest or be unable to complete your goal as planned, and you may feel that your efforts have gone to waste if you haven’t reached the end. Whether you immediately move to drop something or not depends on the situation, so before you make a rash decision, take a step back and re-evaluate things.
Something you could try is visualizing a point of no return: if you’re more than halfway through a project, or you’ve invested a considerable amount of time and resources into it, it would be worth seeing things through to get your worth out of it. You may also want to weight up the benefits and costs; what will completing the end goal get you, and how much more will you need (time, money, resources, effort) in comparison to what you have already put into it.
If you’re struggling doing something on your own, perhaps you can seek assistance to help you push through that hurdle and get back on track, or have someone externally who can keep you accountable should things start to slide back. Even if circumstances are really stacked against you, talking to someone else can help you make the right judgment call.
References & Further Reading:
8 Effective Ways To Finish What You Start If You Can’t Finish Anything (aconsciousrethink.com)
How To Finish What You Start: 10 Important Tips – Personal Excellence
5 Ways to Finish What You Start (and Why You Often Don’t) | Psychology Today