How many times have you started something with the best of intentions, only to fizzle out before you ever got the idea fully off the ground? Frustrating. This feels especially bad when you quit after making significant inroads into the project. You wouldn’t think you’d leave something hanging like that, but you do.
Why?
We tend to be bad at reaching our goals. Not because we can’t make a decent goal or even put the work in. It’s the follow-through that gets us down, mostly because goals tend to involve future success. It’s hard to stay excited about something you’re not going to finish for days or even weeks from now, even when we’re motivated to do so.
The problem isn’t us, so much as the idea being somewhat abstract. Let’s face it; we’d much rather do something which will give us immediate gratification. Games on your phone are designed to give you this instantly. Every level fulfilled sparks and dances with joy, giving you a pleasant little surge of dopamine in your brain with every high score.
Because we like this kind of immediate feedback, we tend to put off those far-off projects for more immediate gratification. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably even gotten good at justifying this abandonment. Trading one project for another, which is easier with a faster culmination, is easy to do. But is it satisfying?
Let’s face it; sometimes, you do want to finish what you started. Those great, big, interesting goals are the things that can change lives when you reach them. So how can you act with diligence and get things done even when the world pulls you in all directions?
Try This First
Hone the Vision
It’s impossible to finish anything when you’re not clear what the eventual goal is. Take a few minutes and examine the project you have in mind. Can you visualize the outcome you want?
Be Fully Committed
Once you have a clear idea of where you’re going, ask yourself why you’re doing this. What motivates you? What about this excites you? Hold onto these thoughts and make a verbal commitment to this goal. And yes, saying it out loud does make a difference!
Create Your Space
Here’s where you need to set up where the magic happens. Wherever you choose to work, make sure you’ve reduced distractions.
Make Temptation Impossible
This is crucial no matter what the goal. If you have a project you need to dig into for work, it might be you need to turn off your phone or put it in a drawer for a bit. If you’re working on your health, this is where you get rid of the cookies from the cupboard. Make it as difficult as you can to throw off your progress.
Organize
Do you have the tools you need to start? Now is the time to assemble them if you don’t. This is also a good place to get any research done you might need. Once you’ve got the materials, take a few minutes to create a game plan. What’s the goal for today? What do you need to get done for the next milestone? This should be laid out in simple, bite-sized pieces of work.
Set the Stage
Do you work better with peppy music? Does it help to listen to an inspiring podcast before you begin? Do you have a mantra you use to put yourself in the right mindset? By creating a routine before work, you tell your brain you’re ready to work now and get things done. Do this often enough, and you’ll turn this routine into a trigger that puts you in the perfect headspace instantly, which is important in creating the necessary momentum.
Start Early
If you can, begin working as early in the day as possible. Studies have shown an earlier start to the day is crucial to success. This is important even if you’re not what you would term a ‘morning’ person. Why? The longer you wait to start your day, the more likely you are to put off beginning until tomorrow. Also, if you jump in early, you’re going to feel amazingly productive by lunch.
Be Impulsive
Once you have everything in place, start without thinking about it if you can. Too often, we stall out because we don’t feel ready. Once you’ve organized your materials or workspace, though, there’s no point in holding back.
Blast Through for Five Minutes
This launch should be quick and fast. Tell yourself you’re just going to test the waters and throw yourself in wholeheartedly. You have a plan. All you need is to work it!
Single Task
Do not be multitasking when you plunge into this project. You’ll only be distracting yourself and muddying things unnecessarily. Put all your attention on what you’re doing.
Find the Flow
If you’ve ever been in a flow state before, remember how this felt. Try to recreate this feeling as you work. Sink into it and enjoy the sensation of everything coming together while the outside world melts away.
Keep the Momentum
No matter what, try to hold your momentum even if you don’t have a solid flow state. Forward progress is still progress, no matter how slow. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Give Yourself a Quitting Time
You can’t work endlessly. To avoid burnout, know when you’re shopping for the day. Otherwise, you’ll crash and burn, making it harder to pick up again the next day.
Set Up for Success
How do you want to begin again tomorrow? For example, some writers will write the first sentence of the next chapter before quitting for the day, so they can jump right in easily. What would help you? Layout your workout clothes, set out materials, do whatever you need for a successful start the next time you settle into work.
Believe In Yourself
As you keep working, remember this very important thing: You have everything you need to succeed. Just the very fact you’re working to achieve your dreams makes you amazing. You’ve got this!
A Few Added Expert Tips
What follows are some added tips that will help you keep on track. If you feel yourself floundering, these should help.
Reassess
What’s going wrong? Do you need a somewhat different approach? Remember, you can’t anticipate everything. It’s okay to pivot if you need to. Who knows, a change in direction might be a good thing!
Make it Fun
If you feel yourself faltering because things are getting drawn out or dull, try making a game out of things. Play beat the clock with a timer to make things more interesting. Or work out a reward system to get through the next few tasks.
Create Deadlines
A deadline puts in a feeling of urgency. This can be especially helpful if you find yourself putting off your goal until later.
Stop
No, you’re not abandoning the project! On the contrary, you’re pausing to take a break. Stop and stretch. Move around, get a drink of water. Or take a little longer if you’re feeling burned out and call a friend, or do something fun for half an hour.
Celebrate
Accomplishments are important. Make a point of celebrating every milestone. This is crucial as it helps you feel like you’re making progress and helps to stay dedicated to the project over the long haul.
Do the Easy Stuff
If you’ve been working for a while without feeling like you’re accomplishing anything, switch focus. Do some easier tasks quickly to get them out of the way. This will give you an added feeling like you’re making progress while at the same time knocking several items off your To-Do list.
Break up Monotony
If you’ve reached a point where you’re doing the same task over and over but don’t have any little tasks to give you a break, why not take another long task and use it to switch out periodically with the first task. Half an hour on one, then half an hour on the other, will keep your brain engaged and gives variety to your day.
Forget Willpower
If you think you can succeed on willpower alone, you’re only setting yourself up for failure. Willpower is great, but it’s a finite resource. You’re also going to need a solid dose of preparation and the right tools to work. This includes taking care of yourself, such as eating right and getting adequate sleep, so you have the energy to keep going.
Create Consequences
If the deadline isn’t proving to be enough, make a negative consequence for not getting your work done. One enterprising blogger gave the example of putting a contribution in an envelope for a political party they hated, then gave this envelope to a friend with instructions to mail it if they didn’t complete their project. The very idea of supporting this party was enough to make them work hard to get the project done.
Grab an Accountability Partner
Speaking of enlisting your friends, why not recruit someone with similar goals to work alongside you?
Outsource
Are there aspects of your project which other people can help you finish? Remember, you don’t need to do everything for yourself.
Ask for Help
Finally, if you’re struggling with some aspect of this project, it might be you need an expert opinion. Consult with a mentor or someone else who has gone through similar struggles. If the problem seems more internal, consider talking to a trusted friend or counselor about what you’re going through. You don’t have to go through this alone.
