Starting but not finishing

The journey from an idea to a finished product is a long way. In many cases too long. It is not because people lack enthusiasm or motivation. It is all about persistence in pursuing goals.

It is fun to come up with a great idea for a new product, an incredible story for a book, or a project which could bring thousands of pounds. Also, meeting people and talking about the idea with excitement is part of the fun.  It is so much harder to sit and work on it.

It may be boring, repetitive, even painful. For example, if you want to write a book then there’s no other way but to set aside the time to write everyday. There may be an interesting movie on TV, you may you have a headache, someone may invite you for a pint. You can find distractions everywhere and end up after a year without a single page written. John Grisham started working on his first novel while doing a full-time job. He was getting up a couple of hours earlier every morning to write, what at that time was his hobby. It took him three years to finish the book and I think you agree that it was worth spending so much time on it.

Next time you have an idea for a new project take into consideration a few points:

• What are the requirements for me to finish the project?

This may include research on the topic, meeting people, finding investments, reorganizing your job and free time schedules.

• How much time do I need to spend on it everyday?

Carefully think about how much time you are willing to spend on developing your idea everyday. Take into account not only your full-time job but also the time you require for activities such as shopping, exercising, cleaning and cooking.

• Write down all the steps you need to carry out in order to complete the task.

Split your project into smaller tasks, be specific and give a dead-line to each one. Once you complete any of the steps write down next to it ‘completed’. Then, in a moment of disappointment or frustration you have clear proof that you are making progress, you are going forward with your project.

Stop starting, start finishing.

Photo from Flick by Bruno Girin