Buzz
There are many reasons why people begin projects but never see them through, and contrary to common belief, many of these reasons are not related to laziness, lack of commitment, or failure to follow through.
While there are certainly instances where these reasons apply—along with situations where a project is left unfinished due to time constraints or other logistical issues—many of us likely belong to a different group: those who struggle during the middle stages of a task. Here’s why this can be so difficult, along with some strategies to ensure you finish everything you start.
The start is rarely the most challenging part
Whenever someone is ready to make a major change in their life—whether it’s quitting smoking, preparing for a marathon, or moving to a new place—they will often be told that 'getting started is the hardest part' (or something similar).
While this may sound motivational, it doesn’t reflect the reality. (Though telling someone 'the hardest part is the beginning—until you hit the middle, which is way harder and probably when you’ll quit or seriously think about it' might be a tougher sell.)
Here’s how Jon Acuff, the bestselling author of six books, including Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, explains it:
Our culture often glorifies the start and overlooks the finish. We have common phrases like, 'Well begun is half done,' or 'The hardest part of any journey is the first step,' but that’s simply not true. The first part is rarely the hardest part—the middle is far more challenging than the start.
Instead of seeing our 'inability' to finish projects as a personal flaw, and feeling guilty every time we spot that guitar we only played once gathering dust, Acuff suggests we rethink our goals before diving into something new.
Stop viewing goals as all-or-nothing
During an interview with Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show, Acuff argues that we should set goals based on our personal needs or desires, rather than the societal expectations of what a particular task should involve:
Many people set goals that are too large. One of the main purposes of my book was to challenge some of the popular myths around goal-setting—like 'Go big or go home' or 'Aim for the moon and even if you fail, you’ll land among the stars.' I never thought those ideas were accurate. My theory was, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds but you only lose eight, you’d feel like a failure by two pounds and give up. Most people view their goals as an all-or-nothing endeavor. I figured if I got you to scale your goal down to five pounds and you lost the same eight, you would have exceeded your goal by three pounds and would continue trying.
If you’re finding it hard to aim for something less than the moon, Acuff offers two tips. The first is to simply reduce your goal by half. This strategy was tested in his own research, which revealed that 63% of participants who halved their goals were ultimately more successful in achieving them.
The second suggestion is to start by setting a realistic goal that you can actually accomplish. Once you achieve it, nothing stops you from pushing forward and taking it to the next level—and you’ll have the confidence boost from completing something.
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