I realize New Year’s resolutions are no longer in vogue.   But we still try to stick with them in our family. (What can I say, we’re old school!)  One of my resolutions this year is to keep a more organized home office.  My office has become a dumping ground of abandoned toys,  unfiled bills, and outdated magazines.

As I was cleaning out my shelves, I came across an old screenplay I had written years ago during my days in Hollywood.  I thumbed through the yellowed pages and came to realize that my work of art was actually not too…good.  I seem to recall the professional review at the time describing it as “shallow” and “vapid” (ouch!)  Through the prism of time, I cannot argue with this assessment!

The Only Failure is No Longer Trying

But I also remember the two years it took me to finish this “masterpiece”.  I abandoned the project entirely about three months into the first attempt.  The writing process was tedious and unfulfilling.  But something gnawed at me as I stared at this half-finished story day after day.  Finally, it dawned on me that there was nothing sadder than an unfinished project.  Or the abandonment of an unrealized dream.

I poured my soul into completing the task and felt an enormous sense of satisfaction and pride upon completion.  While my screenplay was ultimately a failure, the focus and discipline it took to complete it has stayed with me forever.  It was the journey, not the destination.  And how many of us have unfinished projects and dreams in our own work and personal lives?

We Must not Only Dream.  We Must DO!

In our work lives, we all have lofty goals.  Perhaps we want to start our own company.  Or change industries for a fresh start.  Or step outside the box to land a major client.  Or immerse ourselves in a new training program.  We are not only dreamers, we are doers!

But sometimes, after a great start, we run out of steam.  The framework of our business plan is there but the details need to be fleshed out.  We research alternative careers but never pull the trigger on change.  We map out our strategy for securing a landmark client but never actually make the phone calls.  We sign up for a training program but grow bored and bail halfway through the regimen.

Take The First Step and Don’t Stop!

Taking the first step is the hardest.  So why stop there?  Unfinished tasks and discarded goals slowly erode our dreams.  We don’t need to constantly reinvent the wheel.  We just need to shepherd our uncompleted projects through to conclusion!

The same is true in our personal lives.  Perhaps we want to run a marathon.  Perhaps we have a home improvement project.  Or we want to spend more one-on-one time with our children.  Or we are training to make a particular team.  Whatever the project and goal, we set the bar high and methodically pursue our dreams.

In Tough Times, We Need To Double Down

But those long runs can get pretty lonely.  Finishing that bathroom can be daunting as we peel back the layers.  Work and other personal commitments can erode our alone time with the children.  And working out can become overwhelming as we sacrifice comfort for pain.  Sometimes, it is tempting to abandon ship halfway through a project.   But this is the time to double down on our commitment!  Why?

Because seeing a task or project through to completion sharpens our resilience.  Once we power through the difficult moments, it becomes much easier to complete the next daunting task or challenging goal.  Even if the project is not a success, we gain so much confidence and self-assurance simply by finishing!

Giving Up Gets Easier With Practice

But the opposite is also true.  Once we give up on one project, it creates a slippery slope which can quickly slide toward mediocrity.  An unfinished story.  A discarded business plan.    A stagnant career.  A half-painted bathroom.  An abandoned dream.    Every unfinished project is a minor tragedy in our lives.

When the storm clouds roll in, we remember these images.  We make a tacit agreement with ourselves that it is okay to move the goal line. It is okay to give up.  It is okay to curl up into a ball and let life wash over us.  Does this sound like the recipe for a resilient life?

Finish the work, otherwise an unfinished work will slowly finish you. –Amit Kalantri

Let’s Finish What We Started!

But here is the good news.  It is never too late to change.  And it starts with our very next project.  We don’t have to be perfect.  In fact, we can struggle and fail.  But we have to make across it across the goal line.  We have to see our next project through to completion.  Once we do, we can take a breath and celebrate.  We can build off that momentum.  And we can attack our next project with even more confidence and energy!

We own the next step.  Let’s finish what we started.

Until next week, keep smiling!