Don’t Just Do… Finish!

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I’m a long term fan of the Zen philosophy ‘Don’t Think, Just Do’.

I’ve referred to it in blogs about getting unstuck and procrastination.

Recently it’s dawned on me that ‘just do’ isn’t always where it ends. Because it’s pretty easy to ‘just do’… and do… and do… Never finishing. Just doing. Until what you thought you were eliminating by ‘doing’ creates another challenge.

Finishing is part of Moving Forward

Moving forward is healthy. Whether it’s us or something we intend to do. Need to do. A simple rule of nature, where finishing one thing and starting another creates flow and momentum.

Yet, no matter how healthy or how much better we know we’ll feel when we finish things, it can still be a challenge. Fear in various forms, low self-esteem and a lack of confidence can all play a part.

1. Fear of judgement
   What if people don’t like what you’ve done? Or it isn’t good enough? Well, you’ll never know if you don’t finish – and that’s the point. When you delay finishing, you delay judgement. The focus shifts to how much time and effort you’re putting in.
2. Fear of success
   This can be much worse than a fear of failure. After all, if you do a great job this time, what does that mean next time? So, dragging out the task delays the inevitable. It delays accountability and the possibility of setting yourself to fall short of expectations in the future – other people’s and yours.
3. Fear of the unknown
   Well, this can be a surprise. Especially when you’re working on something all-consuming that you want to finish, and there’s light at the end of the tunnel. This one kicks in when you realise you’re not sure what your next project will be, or you won’t be working with the people or environment you’re used to – whether you’ve enjoyed it or not. Better the devil you know?

Being consumed by emotions and fear only lasts for so long without consequences. At some stage, you’re in trouble – judged, reputation affected – because of missed deadlines or the inordinate amount of time something’s taking. If self-criticism or self-loathing kick in, and your self-esteem or self-confidence are already low, it can make finishing even harder.

Finishers Get the Rewards

It’s fair to say the world rewards finishers, not starters who don’t finish. Pretty much the same in your mind too. Think about it – how much better do you feel when you finish something? You get a pat on the back for getting it done – and an even bigger one if you meet the deadline.

And if you haven’t done the best job you could have? That’s part of the learning curves in life, desensitising us to what we see as failure. Fixable when we correct or change behaviours, choices and attitudes that don’t serve us well.

Ready to finish what you started?

An excellent place to start is with these 7 tips for getting across the finish line.

1. Accept some tasks and projects will fall by the wayside
   Be encouraged! The pile of books you plan to read may never get read. Or the project you started at school will never get finished. For me, it was a patchwork quilt I started in Year 8 and carried around, complete with wooden templates and cut patches, for decades!
   Passions change. Priorities shift. So, let it be OK to drop things off the list that don’t need to be there anymore.
   Just don’t confuse them with the necessary things that only go away when done. The ones with consequences if they don’t get finished. Where there’s no getting let off the hook.
2. Balance your goals with a dose of reality
   Aiming high is one thing. Setting yourself up to fail is another. Whether it’s how much you can achieve in a day or a timeline you put on a project, most things take longer than you think. Pressure to perform under tight deadlines can produce lower quality work – ask any perfectionist.
   So this isn’t about crushing dreams. It’s the opposite. Understand what’s reasonable for you to achieve and aim for that. When you finish, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something. And you’ll be so much more enthusiastic about the next task!
3. Simplify things
   Stop the overthinking, overtalking and overanalysing. The overwhelming To-Do lists. The big thinking that sounds great at the time – and leaves you wondering how you’ll achieve what you said you would. Know what you want to get done, keep it simple, then do it. Your actions make the difference.
4. Have a plan and deadlines
   We’re generally better when we have a plan for what the day holds. Compare days you wake up without one to the days you know what’s ahead of you – you’ll see what I mean. Days set aside for recharging the batteries by doing nothing still have a plan. So, go into each day knowing what’s in front of you. Start as small as you need to on the challenging days. Even if it’s just getting up or doing some exercise, it’s something to tick off as done.
5. Focus on what finishing feels like
   What you focus on is where your energy goes. Telling yourself you’re a failure because of what you haven’t done becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – if you let it. Change that to telling yourself you’re a success, see yourself meeting the timeline – then get the task done. Let that be your self-fulfilling prophecy.
6. Desensitise yourself
   Whether it’s getting used to people saying no to you or having your work criticised, what’s the worst that can happen? Or the worst thing they can say? If it’s going to happen, a delay only makes it worse. So be courageous – be uncomfortable. Make that call. Set that appointment. Hand in that piece of work. At least it’ll be off your plate.
   You’ll be surprised how often the outcome will be way better than you thought.
7. Remember there are only 3 choices when facing a challenge
   Ignore It OR Run away from it OR Embrace it and tackle it head-on
   Whatever course of action you choose, follow through.
   If the approach you’ve chosen doesn’t work? Recognise it, remembering that doing the same thing and expecting a different result never works.

To finish…

Finally, be optimistic. Let past behaviour be just that. Don’t let it predict your future. Those mistakes and failures? They’ll teach you more than success ever will.

The good news is that our brain isn’t hardwired like a computer. It’s a living organ with the ability to adapt and change its own structure and function. This neuroplasticity¹ puts the science behind why affirmations and positive self talk work – because of our brain’s ability to set up new pathways over time.

Neuroplasticity might also explain ‘tipping points’ – where you get so sick of doing what doesn’t work that it’s suddenly easier to change to doing what does work. You reach the point of ‘no more’, you’re ready to change – and change happens. You pass the finish line!

So, am I still an advocate of ‘don’t think, just do’? Absolutely! Even more than I was when I started writing.

Of course, what I’ve written only scrapes the surface. It won’t work for everyone or in every situation. There are times when the answer is to seek guidance from skilled, qualified professionals to delve deeper. To break entrenched habits or patterns, get back on top of emotional health and become well – helping you approach each day with enthusiasm instead of dread.

Until next time…

Anne

^{Reference 1: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, MD}