Listen, you are not alone. You had so much enthusiasm at the beginning of that project. Your intentions were the best. You were so passionate, motivated, and excited about the impact it would have. Maybe you thought it would be more fun than it turned out to be. Maybe you got distracted by something more important, or something more fun, or something that you can’t even remember at the moment. Maybe once you jumped into it, you felt overwhelmed. You probably started criticizing yourself or doubting your own ability to make get it done. We all do it to some extent. Maybe you had a really good reason that you had to go do something else first and you just haven’t come back to it yet.
Life happens. Don’t beat yourself up thinking you are the only one who has ever started something they didn’t complete. There is no good in surveying how many unfinished projects and abandoned ideas clutter the dusty path of the last few months. What good does it do to feel bad about that New Year’s Resolution? Seriously, it’s okay. I’m not asking you to forget about it, I’m asking you to stop judging yourself so harshly. It happens. Even to the best of us. Even to that person in your life that seems so on the ball. Everyone has issues learning to focus at some point. Everyone has priorities that shift unexpectedly from time to time. You can’t go back to the past so let’s focus on you can to do about it now. You may not be happy with how often you get off track but I’m going to give you 5 questions to ask yourself to get back on track and finish what you started.
1. Ask Yourself If It Is Something You Really Need To Finish
So you stopped midway into that task. So what! Does it even matter? Was it a purposeful and meaningful use of your time and energy? What impact does it have on you and the world around you if you never finish it? Sometimes we can get caught up doing things that don’t really matter and bring no added joy or value to our lives. If it matters, decide right now to finish it. If it doesn’t, skip it. Yes, walk away and find something else to do with your energy. Your time is too precious to spend doing things that are not adding value and joy to you and others.
2. Ask Yourself If It Is Something You Need To Finish Right Now
Now if it matters and you decided to finish it, the question becomes when are you going to finish it? It might not be your highest priority but give yourself a realistic deadline to finish it. Give yourself room to acknowledge that there are something that need to happen now and others that can wait. What is critical? What impact would it have on the other things you would like to finish? Will it pave the way to get some other things done? Is it the next step in a series projects? Allow yourself the room to schedule things at a pace that really works for you. If it’s too slow or too fast, you will only frustrate yourself. Set your priorities and deadlines.
3. Ask Yourself If Someone Else Can Help You Finish
Be honest with yourself. Are you the bottleneck in this process? Can someone else help you get it done? Even if they do it in a different way, does it make sense to delay finishing it because you can’t let go of control? Allow someone to help you. Keep your vision but open yourself to the idea that there are a variety of ways to accomplish any task. Have standards, but don’t allow perfectionism to unnecessarily hinder your progress. Be realistic. Maybe there are pieces that can be done better by someone with more skill and experience. Maybe you save time not doing every single task by yourself. What else could you be doing if you accept help? What are the benefits of allowing someone else to help you? Maybe the biggest benefit is being able to say that unfinished thing is finally finished and checked off your list. Get help where it makes sense to have help.
4. Ask Yourself What’s The Next Logical Step To Take To Get Back On Track
Now that you are getting back on track, step out of the overwhelm that has you stuck. Think about what makes sense to do first and then do it. Once you have completed that step, think about what makes sense to do next & do it. Lather, rinse & repeat until you are back on track and finished with what you started.
5. Ask Yourself What Can You Do To Stay On Track Until It’s Done
Just in case you are like me, you might want to consider how you can stay on track. After you get moving, there is always a possibility that something else will come up to compete with your time and energy. How will you stay on track? Maybe you can plan a celebration once it is done. Maybe you take steps to work in a place where you are less likely to get distracted. Maybe you find ways to stay focused so that you can stay on track until it’s done.
What works for you? Do you have other questions that help you get back on track? What works for you when you want to finish what you started?
Author: Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach
Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™ is a Speaker and Coach for highly creative problems solvers and entrepreneurs who struggle with procrastination, doubts, fears, over-thinking, good excuses, and stubbornness. Adrienne knows exactly how to confidentially coach Helpers who get overwhelmed being there for everyone else, but are uncomfortable being helped. The Soul Power Coach™ has practical tools for the accomplished, respected, workaholic feeling isolated and frustrated because the people around them are behaving badly, or they just want life to be more fun. Clients come to the Soul Power Coach™ needing more focus, organization, consistency, and courage to move even the most impossible obstacles out of the way and feel more unspeakable joy. Adrienne has several ways to work herself out of a job by showing clients how to access their own Soul Power immediately and more consistently. Take the 30 Second Soul Power Challenge & get $275 of do-it-yourself coaching tools free at www.soulpowercoach.com