Do you have a file of unfinished projects/tasks? You know the half baked ideas, the projects/tasks that have never left the work in progress stage. If so, keep on reading, the following tips are to help you see things through and to ensure that you finish the projects that you start.
Got a Bright Idea, Relax – Make a Plan – While it may be tempting to run with a great idea, starting it without mapping it out can lead you to feel overwhelmed when you are in the middle of it. Try to resist the urge to just jump into a project and instead take the time to map it out and how you are going to put it into action. Having a plan will keep your organized and on track. Think about it this way, when are cooking a meal that is completely new to you, you wouldn’t run straight to the kitchen and start making it without looking at the recipe. Right? The same thing goes for any project that you take on, you have to map out what you have to do and determine what you need, then go back to that plan when you bring your great idea to life.
Tell Friends/Family About It – Never underestimating the power of accountability. If you find yourself procrastinating on an important project/task tell your friends about it. If you are having a difficult time motivating yourself to finish a particular task/project tell a friend or family member that you are going to have it done by a specific date. I can’t emphasize this enough: give yourself a specific deadline and try to avoid vague terms such as soon or in a couple of days. Just set a date, tell your friend/family about this date. This will make it more real and sharing it with your friends/family pushes you to take action.
Take Care of One Project At A Time – Another reason why you may not be seeing things through could be because you have too many projects going on at once. Do yourself a favor; just try to work on one project or task at a time. If you have a whole bunch of projects and not sure which one to do first, ask yourself which project/task will have the biggest impact on your life. On the other hand, you can go with the project/task that scares you the most. Chances are, that is the one project/task that will have the biggest effect on your life.
Being Done is Better than Perfect –Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you have to rush through your project/task. This tip is geared to the perfectionist inside of you, the one that can’t move forward because the small details aren’t the way you want them or not good enough. When you are in the middle of a project/task, tell your inner perfectionist to take a back seat and keep on going. Try to avoid going back and fixing the minor mistakes, save that for the end.