10 Ways to Finish What You Start

Many people have a hard time making a start with something they want to achieve. As a Brisbane life coach, I find many clients make big plans but never take the first step. Others tend to start but seem to bail out before they reach their goals. After all that work, do you really want to quit just before you reach success?

The most successful people are masters at finishing what they start. They’re like a dog with a bone, so how can you start to finish what you set out to do? We all have a story of quitting that seems follow us around. You can put a happy ending to these stories – and this behavior – by learning to finish what you start.

As a Brisbane life coach, here are some of the techniques I’d suggest you try:

• Develop the habit of being a finisher. This is most easily done by finishing all of the little things you start. Complete every little task you start.
 From washing ALL the dishes, finishing the chapter you start reading, to finishing the workout you set out to do.

• Set reasonable time estimates. We often greatly underestimate how long something will take. When something takes longer than we think it should, we become discouraged and quit the task. In my work as a Brisbane life coach, I encourage my clients to stop assuming that everything will go perfectly, and instead be prepared for challenges along the way. You can then plan accordingly.

• Release yourself from the need to be perfect. Perfection is a burden that gets in the way of progress. It takes too much time and destroys your enthusiasm. You can still do something well without taking the time or energy to try to make it perfect.

• Keep the benefits of finishing what you start in mind. List the benefits of getting this task done. What will it do for you? How will you feel? Focus on the positive, and you’ll be much more motivated to complete it.
 This is much more effective than focusing on how much you don’t want to do it, or focusing on how miserable the experience will be.
 Maybe even plan a reward for yourself when you’ve finished.

• Remember the times that you’ve quit in the past. We’ve all given up too soon and later regretted it. Remember those times. Remember how much it bothers you now that you quit. No one wants to relive that feeling. Quitting something meaningful should be something that no one does more than once.

• Remember the times that you’ve completed a big project in the past. How did this make you feel? Really good, right? Hold on to that feeling and feel more of it, more often, by completing things, even if they’re just small tasks.
 Keep track of your progress – as a Brisbane life coach, I find that people don’t do this often enough. Be proud of your progress and use it as fuel to keep pushing forward.

• Keep away the negative thoughts. Giving up is the result of negative thinking. Notice when your thoughts are counterproductive and immediately switch your thoughts to something more positive.
 Start to direct your thoughts to the feeling of success you’ll enough once the task is done or goal achieved.

If you want to be successful, it’s really important to learn to finish what you start. This isn’t a skill that most of us were taught. We like things that are easy and comfortable, but if you learn to finish what you start, your life can easily become more comfortable for you!

You know people that never seem to complete anything. You also know people that finish what they start. Who do you want to be going into the new year?