Connect with us

Success Advice

5 Simple Tips to Help You Finish What You Start

Published

on

tips on how to finish what you start

There is one strategy that can, above all others, help you to be more successful. Some people adopt this strategy early, for others it is learned as they go through life. But the people who never learn it don’t become successful at all.

If you were to look at a cross-section of young adults, you could tell, by how well they were integrating the strategy into their lives, which ones would go on to become highly successful, which would lead average lives, and which would struggle just to make ends meet.

This strategy is to finish what you start. Some call it grit or tenacity or stick-to-it-iveness. But calling it by those names makes it seem like it is a trait that you either have or don’t, and not like a skill that you can develop.

Even if you are not already good at finishing what you start, you can learn. Here are five tips to help you toward completing your tasks:

1. Don’t worry if you didn’t exhibit this trait as a child

The 1972 Stanford marshmallow experiment tested children on their ability to delay gratification by choosing to eat one marshmallow now, or waiting and being rewarded with two marshmallows later. Follow up studies showed that the children who were able to delay gratification were more successful in their school careers.

You might worry if you were not particularly good at delaying gratification when you were a child, “Am I doomed to have a mediocre life?” Children and teenagers need to try many things and gain lots of experiences. If they seem flighty, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will fail later in life. They may be learning a lot that will come in handy later.

It is in young adulthood or later that the skill of finishing what you start becomes so important. As you begin to get an idea of what is really important to you, you can start to focus more and actually make progress. So don’t worry if you have typically abandoned projects to date. It is never too late to learn to finish what you start.

 

2. Build up your ability to complete things

Each time you carry a task through to completion your “complete it” muscle becomes a little stronger. Practice with small tasks first. Start the task, stick to it, and complete it. Mark the completion in some manner like dusting off your hands or by crossing the item off your list. Let your brain know that now you are the type of person who completes tasks.

By practicing completing small tasks, even as short as ten minutes in duration, you are building your “complete it” muscle. And the stronger that it gets, the longer you are able to stick with a task to complete it. Become the type of person who can complete small tasks, and soon you will become the type of person who completes large projects.

“Whatever it takes to finish things, finish. You will learn more from a glorious failure than you ever will from something you never finished.” – Neil Gaiman

3. Break large projects down into smaller tasks

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Most major projects can’t be completed in a day, or even a week. Break large projects down into small tasks, so that you can continue to complete tasks on a daily basis. If you haven’t built up your “complete it” muscle enough yet, break the task down even further, so that you can complete things on an hourly basis. Or, if that is still too difficult, look for a task that you can complete in just ten minutes.

You will be surprised at what you can accomplish in evenings after work if you set yourself small tasks that you complete. The small tasks will add up, until you eventually have a completed project.

If you look at highly successful people you will see that their lives are made up of a succession of completed projects. And those projects were made up of a string of completed tasks.

 

4. Don’t try to multitask

One problem that affects many people is trying to multitask. When you split your attention between two activities you don’t do either one justice. You will just find yourself jumping from one to the other, wasting time as you try to pick up where you left off.

Instead, focus on one task at a time. When you bring that task to completion, you can let it out of your mind. You will no longer be stressed trying to remember to get that task done, while working on another task.

It helps to write down your tasks so that you can focus clearly on one at a time. Otherwise you waste a lot of brainpower remembering the list of what needs to be done next. Focus on the one task and get it done.

“It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” -Confucius, Philosopher

5. Set goals, but be flexible

It is important to work on projects that take you towards your ultimate dreams. Make a goal that is small enough to be achievable, but takes you in the right direction. If you get started on your goal, then realize that it is beyond your current abilities, don’t give it up! Instead, find a smaller scope that you can complete successfully.

You may well find that the projects you complete don’t lead in a straight line to anything in particular. Perhaps your interests take you one way, and then another. Don’t despair. You will eventually find a way to bring together your disparate interests to create something that is uniquely you.

Occasionally there may be times when it is better to change course rather than finish something that you started. For example, Mark Zuckerberg quit college to build Facebook. If you have a real opportunity to make forward progress, it is okay to switch tracks and not complete your original activity.

Just be sure that you do complete something. Don’t allow yourself to jump from goal to goal without anything to show for it. When in doubt, stay the course. Once you understand how important it is to complete projects, you will start to build your string of completed projects. You will choose projects that interest you, and gradually build toward a highly successful life that has great meaning to you.

What tips would you add that will help people complete projects? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Susan de Jong is an app entrepreneur who loves to write software. Her apps include Lucidate, a brainstorming app that helps you explore your innermost thoughts, and Insight Personality Tests, a fun and motivational app. Download the apps today for free.

Advertisement
2 Comments

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Success Advice

How Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success

Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

Published

on

Your Beliefs Can Supercharge or Sabotage Your Success (1)
Image Credit: Midjourney

Pause for a moment and ponder two pandemic-era beliefs: First, closing schools will control the spread of a serious virus. Second, the consequences of such school closures—particularly social interruption and the prevention of immunity—are worse than becoming sick with the virus. (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

How to Break the Cycles of Mediocrity and Manifest Your Greatness

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

Published

on

Image Credit: Midjourney

In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be. 

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time. 

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

Continue Reading

Success Advice

Here’s a Young Man’s Antidote for the Uncertainty of the Modern World

Why do a lot of young guys lack confidence in today’s world? 

Published

on

How to boost your confidence
Image Credit: Midjourney

We all have been told that confidence is a key factor in achieving success and happiness in life. But what is it exactly? (more…)

Continue Reading

Success Advice

Toxic Leadership: 5 Ways to Identify a Bad Leader

if you have a leader who displays any of the toxic traits, it’s time to move on to greener pastures.

Published

on

Toxic leadership
Image Credit: Midjourney

Let’s be honest, we’ve all crossed paths with a toxic leader in our careers at some point. Unfortunately, while some toxic leaders don’t even bother to hide their behaviour, some know very well how to conceal their true selves behind a strong-built facade. The latter is the most dangerous of the two. (more…)

Continue Reading

Trending