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Welcome back to the Growing Tree of Life, our weekly exploration of personal growth and well-being.
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Issue Number: #084
Date: 03 September 2024
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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How to finish things...
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How do you finish things ?
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Do you ever struggle to complete what you've started?
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This used to be a frequent problem for me.
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I'd begin projects with great enthusiasm, only to lose interest before finishing. Sometimes, I'd gather all the information but abandon the task halfway through. Other times, I’d learn the basics and then move on to something new and exciting.
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It happened a lot until I learned a few hacks.
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One of them was to impose an acceptable standard for completion. For instance, in woodworking, I wouldn't switch to a different project until I reached a specifically set proficiency level, such as crafting a functional item. This approach led to more of my projects being finished than abandoned.
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Recently, though, I realised there's one particular project I've been working on for years without completing.
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I'm writing a book—Live the Life You Love. The book outlines seven steps to design and lead an authentic, meaningful, and abundant life based on my Tree of Life Quest framework.
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I began writing in 2019 when I was new to personal growth. Initially, the writings served only as notes for myself, but as they accumulated, I realised their potential to help others too. So I decided to turn my notes into a book. Yet, for years I always found excuses for why it wasn't ready or fit for public release.
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My progress stalled because I deemed my work to be inadequate.
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Over the years, I've rewritten the book numerous times, starting from scratch on multiple occasions.
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Here we are in 2024—five years later—and it’s still unfinished. Realising this at the start of July was a wake-up call. I didn't know how, but I knew: "I have to get to the finish line."
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However, for the next two months, life brought several distractions. On the top of regular duties, my sister came to visit me with her family and I travelled to Belfast to assist a friend moving into her new house. While there, I even fully refurbished her kitchen.
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It was in Belfast that something clicked.
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My return flight, booked a week from my arrival, imposed a deadline. Although I hadn’t intentionally set a deadline, it forced me to focus solely on finishing the move and the kitchen project.
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One morning, as I jumped out of bed focused and ready to work, it hit me—that’s what my book project has been missing: a clear, specific, and unmovable deadline.
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For years, I had no concrete goal or timeline to finish the book.
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And—surprise, surprise—it wasn’t finished. Realising this, I immediately sought an external commitment.
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I went online and applied for an ISBN code, which is essential for publishing a book. When asked for the publishing date, I wrote down 30th September 2024—just a month away. This created an official deadline enforced by an external authority.
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Now that I have this deadline, I work on finalising the book every day with renewed enthusiasm.
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I have a clear goal (finish the book), a clearly set standard (how I want it to be), and a clear deadline (when it has to be done). All three together drive me to get out of bed in the morning, and I’m moving in the right direction.
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If you struggle to finish something, setting an externally enforced deadline can be incredibly effective.
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Enlist an authoritative figure or someone you respect who will hold you accountable. Whether it’s work-related or personal projects, having someone else expect results can push you past that completion hurdle.
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Here’s an additional point:
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Deadlines can serve as an anti-procrastination tool. Procrastination often stems from perfectionism or fear of failure. But when someone else awaits your results, it compels you to act, soon negating those fears. You're driven by the need to avoid embarrassment or disappointment.
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So, my tip for today is straightforward:
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If you have trouble finishing things, get an authoritative figure involved who will enforce your deadline.
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It will help you overcome procrastination and push you to completion because you’ll want to avoid letting them down.
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If you are like me and need help to finish things, there are three components to get things done.
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- Know what you want to achieve.
- Set a minimal standard for a finished product.
- Impose an external deadline.
Use all three together and see the change it makes to your dreams.
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That’s all for today. Thank you for reading, and see you next Tuesday.
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What you can do next:
- Would you like to get personal coaching? Check out my website Lubo.Coach and book a free Discovery call.
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Please forward the email to them.
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The Growing Tree of Life newsletter is sent out every Tuesday.
Reading time is usually 4 minutes or less.
- The Tree of Life Quest website is a resource for you-centred personal development. Check it out.
- I have a free webinar and a workbook "It's Time To Be Me" that helps you find out who you are, what are your values, and what should you focus on to create and live a life you love.
- Do you have questions, comments, suggestions or complaints?
I would LOVE to hear from you.
You can reply to this email or use the Contact me Form.
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Lubo
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