Let's always finish what we started

We often set out to do something at a personal or work level and lack of motivation, lack of commitment or fear, prevents us from finishing the project we set out. Let's change that and always finish what we started.

Let's always finish what we started
Finally, the project is finished. Thumbs up!

Many times we propose something at a personal or work level and lack of motivation, lack of commitment or fear, prevents us from finishing the project. Let's change that and always finish what we started.

Each year, it is very common that we establish a series of resolutions that we want to achieve in the following year, but we usually leave those desires on the road and forget about them, until the year ends again and we repeat the same process. Sometimes we have been told that in order to fulfill those dreams we must see them as a project that we have to finish by a certain date.

However, specialists point out that this may not work, because many people get motivated and start to plan projects, but they do not finish them either. That is to say, something triggers our motivation and we propose a project, we work on it, we review it and polish it thousands of times; we look for the best way to approach it, the precise moment to "start" it and we never carry it out.

Why is that?

Specialists say it is because of fear, because for many of us, not achieving the results we set out to achieve is a failure, and not concluding a project means avoiding failure. Because if the project is always in process, no one will be able to see it and judge it. But motivation arises in the face of any stimulus, and we return to a project, so it is possible that we have several unfinished works at the same time, and this is sometimes used as a pretext to justify to ourselves why we do not get to finish anything.

Let us remember a phrase that says "an excuse is much worse and more terrible than not telling the truth because it is a lie in disguise". We can always think of a way to carry out a project, work on it and do it as well as possible, in the most efficient and complete way, as we have planned, but we always have to think about finishing it.

Let's keep in mind that nothing is perfect, and while it is true what Mike Litman says: "You don't have to get it perfect, you just have to launch it. Launch it, put it to work, you can improve it later". But it is also necessary that we make the decision of when to give up on something, and stop making changes to it. The first step when we have a dream, desire or purpose, will always be to define how we are going to achieve it. For that, the specialists speak of following five simple steps, which will allow us to "mark a map" very clear, that will take us to the proposed goal.

Step 1. The vision of the future

When we make our list of resolutions, it is better to have it in writing and be very specific with what we want. Let's ask ourselves: What do we want? What do we need to achieve it? How much does it cost? (Let's remember that some things have a price, but others require a sacrifice. The more details we can know, the easier it will be to define our goals because we will see exactly what we will have when we achieve them.

Step 2. Personal goal

To achieve a goal it is necessary to make a list of the steps to follow. So we have to write down concrete data of what I must do and have to achieve my dream. If necessary we have to make a budget to know how much we can afford. When we have a list of the steps we must follow for each of our goals, it will be easier to mark what we have already achieved and what we lack. It is important that every week we schedule our activities and make a plan so that we are always working on them. The list will help us realize if there is progress or if we need to make adjustments.

Step 3. Goal Rules

A goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. This will help us to have more clarity. The more realistic, intense, and detailed our goals are, the better chance we have of achieving success.

Step 4. Obstacles

For some reason, we sometimes move away from our goal, even beyond our reach. There are many obstacles that are linked to lack of motivation (we stop wanting to do it), others are inherent to the process of achieving them, such as an emergency and we allocate money to attend it, an accident, the loss of a family member, etc.

Step 5. Plans to face each obstacle

This tactic is similar to the way we plan a trip. When we know different ways to get to a place, if one road is blocked, we can take another of the options we have prepared, and sometimes, as when we travel, the alternative route turns out to be more pleasant and appropriate for the trip than the first option. Sometimes if the work of achieving a goal is especially difficult or unpleasant (such as losing weight, getting up an hour earlier, not yelling at the kids during the week) the deal we make with ourselves can be much more satisfying than the goal itself.

Let's not lose motivation

Let's take advantage of every resource we have available to boost our energy when the going gets tough and let's look for motivational techniques for a specific situation according to our temperament, finding new and interesting tools and ideas to speed up our progress.

Let's review decisions

We must make sure that the decisions we are going to make are the right ones, for that we can check what we know precisely about what we require to turn our dreams into reality. For that we can seek advice from a specialist, there are places where they can support us for free, or we can visit some internet sites.

Let's make the most of our time

Many times we are doing things that do not require concentration such as talking to someone on the phone, and we could take advantage to put something in order, file, arrange things in a drawer, etc.. We can make a list of these things and attend to them in those spaces because even in those brief moments it is possible to attend to things that will continue to take us towards our goal.

Let's not give up

Sometimes when we are halfway through the journey, or even further along, we suddenly feel like giving up because of the accumulated fatigue of having worked tirelessly to achieve this goal. We are at the maximum of our abilities and there are still more things we need to learn. When we begin to justify to ourselves that we should quit, let us review the advantages and disadvantages of doing so, as we continue on our way.

As soon as we reach the point of losing everything we have achieved, it will be easier to realize that it is not appropriate to quit. However, it may be that we do not really want what we have set out to do, and there is no point in continuing. Because in many occasions we follow goals that are not ours, that our parents, relatives, or friends "sowed" to us; that is why it is convenient that we take some time to analyze if we really want to achieve that objective.

On the other hand, if we discover that it is indeed our goal and not that of others, but we feel exhausted from working to bring our project to a successful conclusion, it is important to take a short break, which allows us to re-evaluate the effort and gain new strength to continue. Experts call it a "mini-vacation", which is to distract our attention in something we enjoy such as: going to the movies, a massage, a hobby, or some other small project.

Whatever it takes to clear your head. A few hours will serve to take a break and recover energy and motivation. Meditation, martial arts, massage, and yoga can help us reach our goals by clearing our minds, teaching us to block out distractions, focus on what we need to do at the moment, and get rid of obstacles along the way.

Be a leader in the field

No matter what our goal is, there is always someone who knows less, because he or she is less prepared in a certain subject and needs help. Being the leader of these people allows us to continue preparing ourselves because they are counting on us.

Give ourselves a prize

Every little progress we make should be rewarded so that we maintain the motivation and energy to keep working every day to get to where we want to be, in the planned time. It can be buying a dessert, going to the movies, visiting a museum, or going out with someone, among other options that we enjoy and that do not represent a heavy expense.

When making our planning and scheduling we can establish evaluation periods and assign ourselves a small prize that brings us closer to our goal, when we conclude and achieve our goal we can celebrate (if we consider it so) and take a break to recover energy and be able to continue with the next project.

After knowing all this, the most important thing is to act. We know that almost anything can be improved, but don't let the desire to perfect something prevent us from doing it. If we haven't started, let's do something; but above all, let's finish what we started.