We’re at the end of our series on F.C.E.C., my productivity methodology in a nutshell. If you haven’t had a chance to read the first three parts, I’d recommend that you read the posts on how to Focus, Commit, and Execute. Reading those posts first will help this one make more sense.

As we’ve seen, you have to focus on the task, goal, or whatever as the first step in accomplishing anything. Then you have to commit to taking action. The deep-down kind of commitment that makes you feel icky when you let yourself down. Then you need to actually execute (or as Nike puts it, “Just Do It.”).

But there is one more vital step to ensure success. You have to Complete the task. You can’t just start working on something and then stop. You can’t set the autopilot and hope that you make it to your destination. You actually have to execute until you’re finished with the job.

Over the past couple of years I’ve gotten better at focusing. I’ve even gotten to where I’ll commit to a task or goal and begin the execution. You know the drill. You’ve probably been there.

A task comes to mind. You get all pumped up to do it. The day starts out with the best intentions of doing the entire job. You’re focused on what needs to be done. You’re committed on how to do it. You start working. And then it happens. Something grabs your attention. You run across a secondary tasks that’s loosely related to the one you were working on and you start that task (oops, the focus shifted). How many times have I convinced myself “Oh, this will only take a little while”…and off I go on the secondary task. If I’m lucky, it really only does take a while and I return (renewed focus) to the main task and continue on (committed execution). But eventually something else comes up and I chase that rabbit trail. And then another. And pretty soon my day is shot, the original task is not only not done, but components of that task are littered everywhere, and there are several other tasks that are all partly done.

If you’re anything like me, that’s when a sort of funk sets in. I have a really hard time getting back on track, and returning my focus to the main job. If I’m not careful, everything is vastly worse off than it was before I started. Sure, some things may have gotten done, but now I’ve added several news tasks on top of the one that I was supposed to be doing.

To combat that funk, I added the final C to my acronym. At each step along the way, especially where I’m tempted to go off and start another project, I remind myself that I need to complete this one. Don’t get me wrong, I still go off chasing rabbit trails and I still get myself in trouble, but those situations are getting a little bit less common. Honestly, that’s quite an improvement for me, so I’m counting it as a win!

I do know that I’m making a little bit of progress every time I apply the F.C.E.C. principles. When I really use them, amazing things happen and I feel really accomplished.

Let me know if you have any success with F.C.E.C.