How To Finish Unfinished Business
The question is…where do you get stuck?
Is it at the crossroads of fear of completing a project…and of it not being perfect or accepted?
Is it at the intersection of busyness and overwhelm?
Or, is it simply that whatever you started did not appeal to you in the way that you hoped it would?
Your own personal “how to” lies in your ability to shift your thoughts in regard to the tasks and projects you take on. Want to finish unfinished business? Start here:
Not all tasks are equal in nature. If you are looking at achieving a large goal or finishing a long project, begin by breaking it down into small pieces. Celebrate your achievement at completing each task. Seriously be mindful of all the pieces, of the process toward the finish line. This subtle shift keeps you planted in the moment and mindful of the positive gains. Need a visual guide? Grab two small jars and a ton of paper clips. One paperclip for every step of the project you are working on. Put all the paperclips into one of the jars. Every time you complete a part of what you are working on…even if there have been changes in your original plan…reward yourself by moving a paperclip to the other jar. When we see it we can achieve it…and celebrate!
Evaluate if the task in question should have been started in the first place! What is your relationship to it? Just because we began something does not always mean we need to see it through in its original design. While I am not advocating abandoning ship when the going gets tough, I am suggesting that you allow for modification in design. Maybe you are not finishing this project because you experienced a few set backs or fails. If so, it may just be time for a tweak not an abort. What can you do differently? What have you learned from what you began? Are you in need of a completely different project, or are you in need of finding a different route to complete the one you began? Re-evaluate and play with the possibilities of the next twist or turn.
No one does it alone. At least not everything! Hire a personal assistant, VA, someone to do errands or clean. Whatever will make your life easier and perhaps even guide you home to completing your unfinished business is what you most need at this juncture. Too much to do creates overwhelm not creativity. Allow yourself the space in which to move forward.
One of the biggest reasons that resolutions and goals fail is that they are seeped in jumbo projects and tasks. They then take on an all or nothing philosophy. Can’t get it right? Our tendency is to quit, or pause, or procrastinate. If you really want to finish unfinished business here is the tip you need the most…
LET PERFECTION GO! Very little is actually “perfect” and just as planned. In the scope of your life you will not even remember the little fails, the fears that stopped you, or what got in the way. You will remember the moments and the feelings behind those moments of doing, testing, trying and personal growth. Defining moments in real time means that there is vulnerability and imperfection, curiosity and action. Letting go of perfection allows you to finish business!
Randi Levin CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching– is a certified transitional life strategist, author, inspirational speaker, and reinvention expert. She holds a BS Degree in Journalism from The University of Maryland and a professional coaching certification from The Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching. She believes that we have the choice and the power to create our own legacy each and every day. Randi utilizes her Signature GPS Coaching System as a catalyst for her clients to clarify and refresh their journeys, giving them support and permission to pivot, to change, and to ask, “What’s next?” Randi is a contributor and featured expert for Huffington Post, Thrive Global, DivorceForce, Identity Magazine, and a variety of national publications and podcasts. Randi is the creator of Recoloring Life Workshops as featured in The Wall Street Journal. She is also a co-author in the best selling anthology series Get Results! – A toolbox for change and transition.
