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5 Habits That Derail You
5 Habits That Derail You from Finishing What You Start
Not finishing what we start is a bummer. Whether we quit halfway through a project or academic course, learn a new hobby, or even prepare our emergency action plans, we must admit that we’re left feeling that we’ve failed ourselves and others sometimes.
Not seeing things through to completion should never become a habit. You can avoid this by breaking several habits that cause not finishing to become a habit! Check out these 5 common habits to avoid or break if you want to become a consistent finisher.
1. Procrastinating
A habitual procrastinator is more likely to quit without finishing. First, procrastination is a big motivation-sapper. Second, procrastination leads to endless delays and feet dragging, creating boredom and stress because things don’t happen fast enough.
If you’re a procrastinator, the only way to break the habit is to do it! When you think, “I’m too tired today. I’ll do it tomorrow,” or “There’s no rush. I can finish it later,” kill the thought by getting up and doing it.
2. Making Excuses
When things go wrong, or we find ourselves struggling, we get so frustrated that we look for excuses to throw in the towel. We tend to blame others (whom we usually perceive as difficult or uncooperative). We blame a lack of resources or sufficient information. We justify not finishing due to sudden changes or unexpected situations.
Just like breaking the habit of procrastination, breaking this habit requires sheer willpower. Let your mantra be “no excuse,” and it will become a permanent mindset over time. Instead, you’ll see problems and obstacles as challenges you’re eager to overcome.
3. Seeking Perfection
Insisting on perfection can be a big time waster and a huge stressor. It often involves a lot of redoes and mulling over whether you’ve achieved the perfect result. Perfectionists also hate delegating and feel that they need to do everything themselves to get it “just right.” Being unable to achieve perfection often becomes an excuse for not finishing. Your best bet is to give the task at hand your best-dedicated effort and know that your best is good enough.
4. Miscommunication
A misunderstanding due to bad communication can lead to a major derailment. When that happens, it can be too late to resolve the issue, causing you to abandon a task or project completion. Always make sure that you listen intently to others, write down instructions and ask questions about anything you’re unsure about. Likewise, make sure that you communicate clearly to others, leaving no room for misunderstandings.
5. Bad planning
Unrealistic goals, deadlines, and time management are examples of bad planning that can kill your motivation during a task or project. Unrealistic unmanageable goals or goals not broken down into achievable milestones will slow down your momentum. Always plan and plan well. Assess your progress regularly to ensure you’re on track, make modifications, or catch any issues early on.
Conclusion
Breaking these five habits can tremendously change your approach to starting and finishing what you start. Shedding these habits will help you stay motivated, stress-free, and purposeful. If you’ve been practicing them, it’s time to break them and become a finisher every time!
Additional Information: Benefits of Having a Balanced Schedule.
Till next time
Stay Informed, Stay Safe
Daniel Kilburn
America’s Save Your Life Coach
P.S. Are you someone who struggles to complete projects, goals, or tasks with the same enthusiasm as when you started them? If so, then the Master the Art of Finishing Strong course is exactly what you need to achieve your full potential and accomplish your objectives excellently. Get the free Seven Steps to Always Finish What You Start eBook and sign up here: https://www.eapworkshop.com/f/master-the-art-of-finishing-strong
