3 Steps to Finish the Task at Hand

(when you have no time)

Whether you want to write the next great American novel or finish a poem for your significant other (or any task, really), starting is always easier than finishing. But how do you finish something when you have school, work, friendships, dog-walking, sheep-herding, mountain-climbing, and sleeping to do

1. 

Believe it's possible

We never accomplish anything without first believing it is possible. You won’t go see a movie with your friends unless you believe it is possible to get to the movie theater. You won’t apply for a job without believing that it is possible to get a job. So often we don’t finish our project, because we never actually believed that it is possible for us to complete it even though we are excited about the idea of finishing. Believing that finishing is possible is the first step toward completing anything. 

2.

Find your daily rhythm

A regular habit or daily work-time will give you the momentum you need to finish your story, poem, lexicon, task-at-hand, etc. If you leave a story for a week and come back to it, you have to spend time reacquainting yourself with who the characters are, what the style of writing is, and where you were going next. This often leads to spending our “writing time” not writing at all, but just spinning our wheels to get back on track. By having a consistent time of writing you stay in the flow of writing, you are able to spending your writing time continuing your project, instead of thinking through the Hows and Whys and Whats. 

Quick Tip: Find an amount of time to work for that you can regularly complete. If you can write for only ten minutes a day, do it! When you have completed the ten minutes you will have a sense of accomplishment that will give you the energy you need to start the ten minute time period the next day. While starting a writing project is easier than finishing, starting a “writing time” can be the hardest part. Choosing an amount of time that you know you can complete allows you to enter a writing time much easier.

3.

Be more than      a writer  

 If you shut out the rest of your life to try to solely focus on writing, you will soon dry up and not be able to write anything of lasting value. Time with friends, time working or learning, time away from writing gives you the balance you need to continue writing on a daily basis. If you try to spend all day writing and doing nothing else, you will eventually put less effort into the work you are doing while feeling less connected with your writing, and that will make it harder to go back to it the next day. Your life is not about being a writer—your writing should come from the life you live. Also, distance makes the heart grow fond.