11 Helpful Tips to Finally Finish What You Start

Are you taking too many shortcuts? Or do you do things halfway and not finish what you start because it gets too hard?

Well, you should stop that!

I tend to do things halfway, and then they get hard or make me uncomfortable, so I stop and move on to the next thing.

I have bought so many courses that promise me I’ll get skinny, my blog page views will triple, or my house will be clutter-free, but nothing happens.

Of course, I want to blame it on the course for overpromising, but in reality, I just did the easy steps and skipped the hard ones.

Those hard ones get you to where you want to be.

You can’t always take the shortcut; sometimes, you must go the long way around.

For example, if you want to lose weight, you probably have to plan meals, prepare food, get rid of your junk food, exercise every day, abstain from alcohol, and be consistent with it for a long time!

I’m guessing one of those things would be hard for you, and you decide that doesn’t matter. But if that is part of what makes the plan work, you can’t just skip it! You must go all-in, or you will miss out on what is possible.

If you don’t want to do those hard things, you have to know that you might not get the results you wish to.

But, if you are ready to achieve your goals, here are a few tips to finish what you start!

Do not try to achieve everything on your bucket list at one time

Pick something achievable right now at this time of your life. Make it happen, and then cross it off. Move on to the next one. If it’s a lofty goal, break it down into smaller tasks and do those one at a time.

Make sure the course, book, or project is something that will help you

Be picky about which courses, projects, or books you invest in. Do your research and make sure they have good reviews and good results. You don’t want to spend your precious time on something that will not help you achieve your goal.

Decide that you will finish

Before you even start, know that you will have to put in a minimum effort before you can expect any results. Don’t expect it to be easy. If it were easy, you would have already reached your goal. Visualize the end result and be committed.

Break down the challenging tasks

If something comes up that you think will be hard, stop and write it down. Figure out why you think it’s hard first. Does it take too much time? Have you never done it before? Are you scared? Once you know why it’s hard, break it down into smaller tasks that you can handle.

For example: Let’s stick with the losing weight example. Part of your plan is to exercise every day, but you think that is too hard, so you don’t exercise. Why? Does exercise take too much time? Do you not know what kind of exercise to do? Has it been a long time since you have exercised? Break it down. Maybe on day one, you walk to the mailbox. On day two, you dance to your favorite music. On the third day, you research fitness classes in your area and pick one. Day four, you walk around the block. The idea is that you do something easy for yourself, which leads you to figure out what you think is hard.

Do the hard things first

If something seems hard for you, focus on those tasks first. Do the hard stuff before you do anything else, so you can’t get distracted or caught up in the easy stuff.

Give yourself a deadline

Make sure you are accountable to this deadline. Tell someone else so they can keep you accountable as well. Set the deadline, and do not start anything else until you have finished.

Budget your time

Plan time in your day to work on your course, project, or goal. That could be working on it for one hour a day or spending all of your working hours to finish this one thing. Back to the exercise example; plan one-half hour every morning to go for a walk before starting your day. That might mean having to get up a half-hour earlier every morning.

Stop being a perfectionist

Having high standards is not the same as being a perfectionist. Perfection is unachievable, so it is better to make progress than wait for it to be perfect. Just do something to get to your goal.

Everything is figureoutable

I just finished the book Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. If you are stuck or struggling to reach your goals, you need to read this book. Marie teaches you that you must install this one key belief in your mind that everything is figureoutable. You need to roll up your sleeves, get in there and do it. Train your brain to think more creatively and positively.

Take pride in everything you do

Know that you are doing everything the best way you know how with where you are right now, and be proud of your results. If you are not proud of where you want to be, you haven’t given your best. Do it again until you are!

Don’t stop until you achieve what you are after

You will never know the feeling of reaching your goal until you do. Don’t stop short. Keep going and realize the potential of achieving your goals.

Do what it takes to get there! Push yourself to finally finish what you start and see the results you are looking for.

Affirmations you can write down in your morning journal to stay focused!

Failure is not an option.
I will do the hard stuff first.
Make the possibilities a reality!
I always finish what I start.
Don’t be OK with less than 100% effort.
I know that I can achieve anything I set out to do.
Every day, I am closer and closer to achieving my goals.
Do the hard tasks first.
Progress is better than perfection.
I am always doing my best.

You can do this! I can do this!

Let’s finish what we start, do the hard things, and reach our highest potential!

Are you ready?

If you are brave enough to start, you are strong enough to finish. Gary Ryan Blair