Unfinished business lurks in the corners of your life. Incomplete projects, untidiness, mental clutter, or confusion are ways it masks itself in your life. This disorder can weigh you down and keep you from moving forward with your goals. It’s essential to have the capacity to finish the things in your life because there is power in competition.

You are not as prepared as you could be if you concluded certain aspects of your life. And your brain keeps track of unfinished business; therefore, you can’t effectively move forward. So having incomplete tasks keeps you from being fully prepared to move into embracing new projects and living out your vision.

Completion allows for clarity and keeps the creativity from getting blocked by stagnate energy. You need to bring closure to many incomplete things in your life to clear the way for the life you’ve envisioned. Make a list of the items that need to be completed and tackle them. Only when you consciously take the action steps required can you feel the power of completion. It’s better to have ten completed tasks than a dozen halfway done projects. Why? Because when you complete a job, it empowers you to move forward.

When you free yourself of the mental burden of unfinished business, you’ll be astonished at how swiftly the things you want in your life arrive.

No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn’t the start that matters. It’s the finish line. ~ Julian Smith

Why Completion Feels Good

When you finish a project, it feels so satisfying. Likewise, your body gets an endorphin rush when you check off something on your to-do list. But when you have lingering to-do items, they pester at you. They fight for your attention over new tasks, especially when you see fragments of unfinished undertakings.

So why are some people more productive than others? Because they are consciously choosing how they spend their time. Instead of starting a new task, they first decide to finish a project that was halfway done. And completing that item empowers them to begin a new job with vigor.

So why don’t you deal with the unfinished business in your life? One answer I hear repeatedly is lack of time or being too busy.  No offense, but we all have the same amount of time in a day. I think the reason for procrastination is there is something you dislike doing. So by putting it off, you don’t have to face the unpleasantness. Whether it’s letting the illusion of a good outcome linger instead of admitting the reality of a situation.

Perfectionism is one reason projects linger. You keep the fantasy going since nothing can ever be perfect by not completing it. But, unfortunately, it’s a lie of the ego that keeps you stuck with incomplete tasks.

Don’t mistake activity with achievement. ~ John Wooden

Learning To Say Goodbye

Humans don’t like endings because the ego doesn’t like change. But all aspects of life have a beginning, a messy middle, and a conclusion, especially if you are growing and developing as a human being.

There’s power in endings. Sometimes it’s sad—other times, it’s a relief. Death is an end of life, possibly of suffering. If it’s sudden, then the lack of closure of the relationship can be problematic. But closure can be a double-edged sword, mainly if the ego stays attached to a particular ending it desires.

For example, when my mother passed, my husband was concerned for me because she and I hadn’t spoken in over six years. I reminded him I stopped talking to my alcoholic mother as an act of self-care. I was sad that she passed, and we wouldn’t reconcile as I had hoped. But I understood she was no longer in her self-inflicted pain and turmoil.

I also realized I wouldn’t get the closure my ego wanted concerning her role in my abuse as a child. She would never tell me why she allowed my abuse to occur. Then I realized my ego kept me waiting for closure instead of allowing me to detach from the past.

Learning to say goodbye, and letting go of the past, allows you to complete the cycle all relationships have on healthy terms. Recognize that conclusions open up new opportunities–new beginnings happen after something ends.

When we stop looking for someone to complete us, we find completion in ourselves.     ~ Vironika Tugaleva

The Ego Uses Incompletion

When you allow the ego to use avoidance to keep you from completing your self-created to-do list, it could mean fear is at play. Why? Because the ego uses your thoughts to keep you focused on what you’re not finishing. Then you are fearful of the criticism of others who know you have unfinished projects piling up. Embarrassment, fear of failure, fear of consequences all come flooding forward when you have unfinished business.

The ego keeps the incompletions playing in your mind. They nag at you until they get finished. The more you struggle, the harder it is to be free. All of this effort to not deal with the task wastes time, energy and diminishes your self-esteem. This lack of energy leads to stress, which causes sleeplessness, illness, and anxiety.

All the pressure leads to avoiding dealing with the project that needs completion and most other mundane routine tasks. And then your lack of cooperation at home can cause stress in your relationships.

Can you see how the ego can use a simple item on your to-do list that you don’t complete and turn it into a lifestyle that keeps you stuck? You become the underachiever because you lack the confidence to meet deadlines. But, you can overcome the endless cycle of the ego.

The reality of getting it done is more satisfying than the dream of getting it perfect. Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~ Antoine De Saint Exupery

Tapping Into The Power Of Completion

Time to tackle that list of unfinished items. Review the list you made and determine why you haven’t dealt with these things. And time can’t be the reason. So dig deep and see what you don’t want to do about the task. Once you understand why you’ve procrastinated, you can create a plan to complete the item.

Maybe there are some items on the list you may determine no longer need to be completed. For example, old craft projects you’re no longer excited about can be something you decide to cross off your list. When you consciously choose not to complete something is just as satisfying because it’s no longer nagging at you.

Now pick something on the list you’ve pared down to items you want or need to complete and move it forward. Of course, you don’t need to finish it today, but moving it to the next step empowers you to feel accomplishment is inevitable.

And once you obtain completion, you feel joyful and satisfied. And this is a simple way for you to build your self-confidence because it’s where you build a deeper level of achievement. When you overcome a challenge, get past a hurdle, you gain understanding and courage to take on the next task. This fulfillment is the fruit of your personal growth. The power of completion pushes you forward towards your dreams.

It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before. ~ Betty Friedan

Moving Forward To Completion

When you feel overwhelmed, remember to take small steps. First, break down the task into smaller ones to move the item forward. Next, visualize how you plan to move through each step to completion. Then remind yourself each day the item needs to be finalized and take the next step until it’s accomplished.

Success comes when the item is done, not started. Plan out ways to deal with potential issues before they occur. Do the tasks you don’t want to do as soon as possible, so it doesn’t lead to procrastination. Remember that peace and satisfaction are on the other side of the undesired chore.

Look for the items you like to do and pepper them in between unpleasant things. This excitement helps to motivate you through those things you don’t want to do. In addition, this sprinkling helps the project move forward with more ease.

Calendar when you will do a task and plan to have it done. Then reward yourself for each job you complete and consequences when you haven’t achieved something. Using the scheduling will help you move forward with completing your to-do list.

When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, dreams that need completion, and pure love that needs expressing, we truly live. ~ Greg Anderson

As you realize the power of completion and become conscious about how you choose to spend your time, you can alter it this year. 

Do you need help to complete your to-do list?  Do you need support in developing ways to deal with procrastination and the egoic mind?  If so, please get in touch with me, and we can put together an action plan for you to feel the power of completion.

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