The Tragedy of Unfinished Projects

I despise tasks that linger much longer than they should. While the task is large, it is not insurmountable. Why does the project remain unfinished? Often, the job was begun without adequate planning and preparation. Rather than investing the time to adequately prepare, we dive into the middle of the task on a whim. When the magnitude of the task is realized, our motivation and energy for the project is the victim. Because we didn't plan ahead, the inevitable obstacle arises and we have no idea how to continue to be productive.

The project stagnantly sits as a daily reminder. It's a reminder of our failure. We are reminded of the frustration that led us to jump into the project head first. We begin to consider the other areas of our life that leave us unsatisfied because we are not happy with the situation. Still, the unfinished project remains and continues to taunt us.

Why can't we find the motivation to finish the task? Over time, we begin to feel powerless against the job because we have convinced ourselves that the project is too large. We can find ourselves feeling helpless because the project was begun by someone else. If we make a move toward completing "their" task, we fear that we will send messages about their inadequacies and complacency. At our core, we feel guilty that we are disturbed by the messiness of our lives.....and so we determine that we have no right to alleviate the mess and finish the project. Instead, we continue to live in a perpetual state of frustration.

What do we do? First, we need to determine if the project that has gone unfinished is worth completing. It's perfectly fine to decide that a project that you began is no longer important to you. When you let the project go, you also let go of the guilt that is associated with the fact that it hasn't been finished. Once you know you want to finish the task, begin by making a plan. The plan should include manageable steps that will keep the overwhelming feelings at bay. Determine an ending date for the task, and work backwards from that date. This helps you decide what pieces of the puzzle need to be completed when. Now that you have a plan, get to work....and give yourself permission to revise the overall plan as needed. After all, now that you have developed a plan of action, you are the author and have taken ownership of the project. Recognize when frustration and guilt arrive and proactively decide what needs to be done. It may be a slow process, but the reward comes when the long avoided task becomes a successful accomplishment.