Finish What You Start

Have you ever noticed how a lot of what you deal with on a daily basis actually happened some time previous?  You find yourself not immersed in the new and exciting, but bogged down in the old and outdated. 

• Like that big pile of magazines you ordered, but never have time to read?
• Or the high protein diet you started, but now eat carbs and just feel guilty? (oh come on -- you know who you are!).
• That bathroom remodel that still needs the baseboards installed?
• Those 80’s clothes clogging your closet that you have to fight through every morning?
• Taxes from years ago need filing?

What about the money you borrowed from your sister, but haven’t repaid?  The birthday/wedding/baby gift you still haven’t bought and sent?  The apology you owe a friend?  A call you owe your grandmother? 

Are you getting the idea?  All these things literally tie you to the past.  And the worse part is (there’s a worse part?), if you’re tied to the past, it’s likely that your past -- not what you want now -- is controlling your actions today.

For example, do you skip family gatherings or after work parties because you feel uncomfortable around someone who made some irritating remarks?  Do you feel anxious and depressed because Christmas is coming soon and you don’t have the extra money in the budget to buy gifts?  Do you bark at your husband – or yourself -- every time you look at the shelves he started but didn’t finish in your daughter’s room? 

It’s no wonder that you feel like you get up every morning wearing concrete shoes!

Not only do you have to deal with what the day brings, but you are carrying a backpack full of yesterday’s leftovers.  And every day that you allow more and more to accumulate, it gets heavier and heavier. 

Today, I would like you to think about how much easier your life would be if you made just one commitment in your life:  “To Finish What You Started”.

It’s just 3 simple steps:

1. Make a new commitment that any new thing you start will be completely finished, either by declaring an end to it, doing it yourself, or delegating the job to someone else.
2. Start to clean up FULLY -- (this is key!)-- anything that happened in the past that still nags at you.  Be patient, but persistent.  Use the list above as examples, but carefully consider things from your own life.  You can usually identify these things by how they make you feel when you see them or think about them -- sad, mad, guilty, embarrassed.
   As you go along, remember to set up a new ideal for living -- a way of living that Finishes What You Started. For example, if you’re still paying on last Christmas, determine that you will handle this Christmas in a different way.
3. Seek help when you need it, instead of just letting it drag you down.  Ask for what you need from others.  Explain what you are doing in a kind way, and ask them to join you.  Ask to be replaced on the committee that takes too much time, ask your hubby to finish the shelves (don’t just complain!), get professional help with the taxes. 

People who are aware of the present, and looking forward to the future are able to seize upon opportunities.  People who are brooding over the past are blinded to present possibilities, and therefore lose future potentials.  Which one of those people do you want to be?

Bio: Hershey Wier, MBA, is a Career & Life Transitions Specialist who offers holistic, creative approaches to successful career and life transitions. You can receive tips & inspiration via her free newsletter, The ANEWIST. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Visit http://www.HersheyWier.com