The Art of the Finish...has escaped me -

I am the master of starting. I can start a race without a second thought. I start projects with that starry-eyed optimism you see in movies. In fact, I probably even have that stereotypical twinkle in the corner of my eye!

I set out at the beginning of an endeavor with the best of intentions. I’ve made my plans, I have my tools, and I know the result that I’m trying to achieve. Oftentimes I’m acutely aware that my historical record is a fairly accurate predictor of future success and failure, and I manage to convince myself that this time will be different.

Oh, if that were only the case.

As I walked through the house last night, I took stock of all the partly completed projects that were staring me in the face. Wallpaper partly removed from the walls in two bathrooms. Partially folded loads of laundry. Clothing that has been collected to be donated…and now is so dusty that I’m embarrassed to take it to the donation center. The storage shelves in our computer room that housed the food from our pantry while the pantry received it’s emergency renovation courtesy of a leaky ceiling. And my office, one corner that houses my standing desk is better than the rest of the disaster-that’s-my-office, but an entire office that is in disarray…the result of a great start that fizzled out far too quickly.

What is it about starting projects and then letting them slowly come to a halt?

I get so frustrated with my lack of completion. To make matters worse, the lack of results on my part are setting an example for the rest of the Hectic Clan. We only have six of us living at home now (down from the ten that we had here before)…and yet the number of half-done projects seems to have increased exponentially. Sure, there are projects that were started by several of the kids in the midst of their moving out. Lacking permanent housing, we have lots of stuff stored for the five who are away from home…and some of the storage is like something out of a bad movie. Stacks and piles that are so precariously constructed that walking too close to them might results in an avalanche.

Over the years, I’ve tried to implement my idea of F.C.E.C. where I Focus, Commit, Execute, and Complete. It’s that last one that still seems to escape me.

For example, we have a really nice stationary exercise bike. It’s my go-to piece of exercise equipment. While it doesn’t provide the most rigorous workout, it’s the one piece of equipment that I’ll get on with some regularity. Exercising every day is important, and that bike has been where I’ll go even on the days when I’m struggling to actually start. Some weeks ago it developed a sound, kind of a grinding, clicking, tapping sound. The kind of sound that was driving the rest of the family crazy when I worked out. Of course, I wear headphones when I workout, so it didn’t bother me as much as everyone else. But, I got the hint and dismantled the bike to locate and resolve the issue. Several wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools were required. Eventually I discovered that one of the crankshafts was loose, and a few turns of a wrench resolved the problem. Frankly, being mechanically impaired, I was quite proud of myself for the accomplishment. Proud enough that I crowed about it to everybody in the household, including dragging a couple of them in there to hear the reacquired silence when I rode the bike.

But did I take all the tools and put them back into the tool bag? Naw, that would have been a successful completion to the job. It wasn’t until Hectic Grandson was walking with a screwdriver in each hand that I actually got around to putting the tools away. It would’ve been so simple to just cross the finish line and put the tools away…but I didn’t.

I Focused. I Committed. I Executed. And…and…and…I dropped the darned ball and didn’t Complete.

What the heck is my problem? I just can’t seem to take that final step in anything. And it’s driving me crazy. So here I am, writing about it without a clue as to how to ensure that I can check off Complete on my tasks.

I know that part of the issue is that I have so many incomplete tasks that it’s going to take quite a while to get caught up. But that’s an excuse, not a reason. Being from the Midwestern US, the usual answer is you have to buckle down and get it done. It’s just what people do, they start, do the middle part, and finish stuff. All kinds of stuff. Big projects and small projects. Start, middle, finish. But not me, I’m a great starter. One of the best, if you look at it objectively. I’m actually fairly decent with the middle stuff. I get lots of things partway done. But I’m not enjoying the glory of the finish. Now accolades for me…just partly done projects, taunting me.

I’d love to say that today I’m going to complete a bunch of projects. That I’ll create enough completed items that I’ll be able to write a rebuttal post to this one in a few weeks…but I know myself better than that. I’m going to try and pick out one project that’s been out there, languishing in it’s incomplete state, and finish it. Yoda would not be proud of my use of the word try though. He would glare at me and remind me, “There is no try. There is only do and do not”. But despite his admonishment, I’m going to give it a try and finish off one project today. As my Twitter pal Annie Mueller said: