Dealing with Unfinished Business

"Mind your own business" has gotten a bad rap over the years. Most people use it to mean "butt out!" but really, if we spend more time minding our own business, just imagine how much further we can get in Life.

What is unfinished?
We need to ask ourselves, 'What one thing would I really really regret if I left it undone?' We talk about living a life of no regret, but regrets happen anyway. So if we can't forget 'em, we might as well fix 'em.

Why is it unfinished?
Once we know what business we want to finish, it's important to look at why it's unfinished. Did we just give up? Did we lose interest? Did we say or do the wrong thing once, and became too proud to fix it? It's time to look for clues so we can turn it around to become our action plan.

What would it take to finish it?
Now let's get right down to the goals... what would it tale to finish it? Write it down. Step by little step. The focus here is on HOW we're going to get this thing done.

What does 'Finished' look like?
It's really important to know what 'Finished' looks like. Otherwise. how will we ever know we've arrived? Write it down as well; see it clearly. That's our end result. That's the whole reason for doing this.

Are other people involved?
Having other people involved means one of two things. Either it's going to take longer to finish or it'll happen much quicker than we ever imagined. It all depends on the desires and plans of those other people. If they want to finish it too, amazing things can happen.

What first step can I take to start the finishing process?
We're the ones who want to finish, so we have to be the one to start it. It's so easy to be prideful and either say 'they need to make the first move' or 'I can't do THAT!' Well, that foolishness needs to stop now. Finishing is more important than anything else we can dream of. And when it's all said and done, won't it feel even better to know that we started it?

If I can't finish it this time, am I willing to really let it go?

OK, let's face it. Sometimes no matter what we want, it's not going to happen. Can we face that 'reality' if it comes? If we're willing to accept that and let it go, in a way it IS finished, even if not in the way we wanted.

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Exercise

Call Someone
This might just get you in the habit of finishing up stuff. Go through your date book, PDA, drawer of scratch paper or speed dialer and just call someone you haven't spoken to in a while. You don't necessarily have to have unfinished business with them. "Catching up" is enough unfinished business for now. Who knows, it might just be a pleasant surprise, or it might lead to something bigger, You'll never know until you make that move.