If you are like most people, finishing what you started is NOT always assured! How many times have you started something with the best of intentions only to fizzle out before you ever got the idea fully off the ground? Although not every project we start needs to be finished, it’s likely your intuition to start a project was right on. And, if that intuition was on point, not finishing is likely holding your ultimate life well back from the success you could have. Here are 27 tips for finishing what you started!

It’s normal, particularly with large goals or drawn-out projects to forget why we started them or begin to doubt the goal but it important for you to prevent not finishing what you started from become a habit. We all know someone who is more full of ideas than they are action and, if you allow yourself to fall into a habit of not finishing things it can become a huge barrier to success.

There are a ton of reasons why people fail to finish projects or reach goals: Life gets in the way. Priorities change. We might feel (or actually) get stuck. Fears, disguised as confusion, doubts, boredom or busyness spring up.  Sometimes procrastination and lack of follow-through gets us down, mostly because goals tend to involve future success. It’s hard to stay excited about something you’re not going to finish weeks, months or years from now.

The problem isn’t us so much as ideas being somewhat abstract, motivation changing and perspective becoming muddy. Let’s face it, we’d much rather do something which will give us immediate gratification. As well, we live in a world designed for immediate (although shallow) gratification – social media, gaming, hanging with friends or partying.

Because we are surrounded and distracted by immediate emotions and events, there is negative pressure to put off projects that won’t pay off for some time.

However, the world – our world – is not going to change from social media, gaming or partying. Your big, interesting goals are the things that can change lives when you reach them. So how can you act with diligence and get things done even when the world pulls you in all directions?

Trust that you started the projects and set goals that you have for yourself for valid and important reasons even if those reasons have become muddy or even been completely forgotten in the intervening time. I’ve had more than one client fully remember and understand what accomplishing a goal meant only upon completion. And you will too, IF you insist that you trust yourself and finish the goals you’ve set.

In fact one rule I set with myself and my clients is that, once set, never to give up on a goal unless 1) you are SURE (SURE, not suspect, not “feel,” not doubt) that you no longer want that outcome or 2) you’ve set your sites on something bigger.  Other than those two narrow exceptions, insist that you finish what you start.

Here are 27 great tips for finishing what you started!

Hone the Vision

It’s impossible to finish anything when you’re not clear what the eventual goal is. Take a few minutes and examine the project you have in mind. Can you visualize the outcome you want? Often, to the degree that you can imagine success in detail, is to the degree you reach that success!

Be Fully Committed

Once you have a clear idea of where you’re going, ask yourself why you’re doing this. What motivates you? What about this excites you? Hold onto these thoughts and make a verbal commitment to this goal. And yes, saying it out loud does make a difference! Remember, commitment is and action, not a decision: you show commitment not by saying or thinking, but by doing.

Create Your Space

Set up a separate workspace where the magic happens. That way wherever you choose to work, you will have reduced distractions, placed needed materials where you are doing the work and created a mental and visual barrier that will contribute to your focus.

Get an accountability partner. Having a specific accountability partner increases your success rate up to to 95%!

Make Temptation Impossible

This is crucial no matter what the goal: If you have a project you need to focus on remove temptations: turn off your phone or put it in a drawer for a bit. Shut down and remain off of social media.  Make a commitment that you will simply focus on your task for a certain time period. If you’re working on your health, this is where you get rid of the cookies from the cupboard. Make it as difficult as you can to throw off your progress!

Organize

Do you have the tools you need to start? Now is the time to assemble them if you don’t. This is also a good place to get any research done you might need. Once you’ve got the materials, take a few minutes to create a game plan. What’s the goal for today? What do you need to get done for the next milestone? This should be laid out in simple, bite-sized pieces of work.

Set the Stage

Do you work better with peppy music? Does it help to listen to an inspiring podcast before you begin? Do you have a mantra you use to put yourself in the right mindset? By creating a routine before work, you tell your brain you’re ready to work now and get things done. Do this often enough, and you’ll turn this routine into a trigger that puts you in the perfect headspace instantly, which is important in creating the necessary momentum.

Start Early

If you can, begin working as early in the day as possible. Studies have shown an earlier start to the day is crucial to success. This is important even if you’re not what you would term a ‘morning’ person. Why? The longer you wait to start your day, the more likely you are to put off beginning until tomorrow. Also, if you jump in early, you’re going to feel amazingly productive by lunch.

Be Impulsive

Once you have everything in place, start without thinking about it if you can. Too often, we stall out because we don’t feel ready. Once you’ve organized your materials or workspace, though, there’s no point in holding back.

Blast Through for Five Minutes

This launch should be quick and fast. Tell yourself you’re just going to test the waters and throw yourself in wholeheartedly. You have a plan. All you need is to work it!

Single Task

Do not be multitasking when you plunge into this project. You’ll only be distracting yourself and muddying things unnecessarily. Put all your attention on what you’re doing.

Find the Flow

If you’ve ever been in a flow state before, remember how this felt. Try to recreate this feeling as you work. Sink into it and enjoy the sensation of everything coming together while the outside world melts away.

Keep the Momentum

No matter what, try to hold your momentum even if you don’t have a solid flow state. Forward progress is still progress, no matter how slow. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Give Yourself a Quitting Time

You can’t work endlessly. To avoid burnout, know when you’re shopping for the day. Otherwise, you’ll crash and burn, making it harder to pick up again the next day.

Set Up for Success

How do you want to begin again tomorrow? For example, some writers will write the first sentence of the next chapter before quitting for the day so they can jump right in easily. What would help you? Layout your workout clothes, set out materials, do whatever you need for a successful start the next time you settle into work.

Believe In Yourself

As you keep working, remember this very important thing: You have everything you need to succeed. Just the very fact you’re working to achieve your dreams makes you amazing. You’ve got this!

Reassess

If you lose focus, feel stuck or get distracted ask, what’s going wrong? Do you need a somewhat different approach? Remember, you can’t anticipate everything. It’s okay to pivot if you need to. Who knows, a change in direction might be a good thing!

Make it Fun

If you feel yourself faltering because things are getting drawn out or dull, try making a game out of things. Play beat the clock with a timer to make things more interesting. Or work out a reward system to get through the next few tasks.

Create Deadlines

A deadline puts in a feeling of urgency. This can be especially helpful if you find yourself putting off your goal until later.

Take a Conscious Limited Break

No, you’re not abandoning the project! On the contrary, you’re pausing to take a break. Stop and stretch. Move around, get a drink of water. Or take a little longer if you’re feeling burned out and call a friend, or do something fun for half an hour.

Celebrate

Accomplishments are important. Take large projects and goal and divide them into smaller way points, making a point of celebrating each of the smaller milestone. This is crucial as it helps you feel like you’re making progress and helps to stay dedicated to the project over the long haul.

Do the Easy Stuff

If you’ve been working for a while without feeling like you’re accomplishing anything, switch focus. Do some of the easier tasks quickly to get them out of the way. This will give you an added feeling like you’re making progress while at the same time knocking several items off your To-Do list.

Break up Monotony

If you’ve reached a point where you’re doing the same task over and over but don’t have any little tasks to give you a break, why not take another long task and use it to switch out periodically with the first task. Half an hour on one, then half an hour on the other, will keep your brain engaged and gives variety to your day.

Forget Willpower

If you think you can succeed on willpower alone, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. Willpower is great, but it’s a finite resource. You’re also going to need a solid dose of preparation and the right tools to work. This includes taking care of yourself, such as eating right and getting adequate sleep, so you have the energy to keep going.

Create Consequences

If the deadline isn’t proving to be enough, make a negative consequence for not getting your work done. One enterprising blogger gave the example of putting a contribution in an envelope for a political party they hated, then gave this envelope to a friend with instructions to mail it if they didn’t complete their project. The very idea of supporting this party was enough to make them work hard to get the project done.

Grab an Accountability Partner

Speaking of enlisting your friends, why not recruit someone with similar goals to work alongside you?

Outsource

Are there aspects of your project which other people can help you finish? Remember, you don’t need to do everything for yourself.

Ask for Help

Finally, if you’re struggling with some aspect of this project, it might be you need an expert opinion. Consult with a mentor or someone else who has gone through similar struggles. If the problem seems more internal, consider talking to a trusted friend or counselor about what you’re going through. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Conclusion

By putting these tips for finishing what you started into practice, you’re going to find it easier to build momentum and keep that momentum until the success of your project, accomplishing more of what is meaningful and significant to you.

And when you get there!? You can take pride in the fact you’ve not only reached your goal, but you’ve mastered diligence once and for all, bringing your entire life to a whole new level.

Now that’s powerful stuff!

If you are ready to discover your life’s passion and develop it into the career you have always wanted, reach out now! I have led thousands of people in reaching dreams just like yours. I KNOW you’re capable of reaching any success you dream of with the help of my coaching. Reach out now and I’ll even offer you the first session for free!

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“Mark’s deep coaching skills are profoundly insightful. As a coach who shows up fully and authentically, there is no stone he leaves unturned to help his clients see for themselves the highest future vision of themselves.“