How to Finish What You Start in Midlife
Do you pass the hallway of forgotten projects when you enter your house? Are there dozens of unfinished manuscripts, book outlines, essays, or blog posts on your hard drive? Maybe your unfinished business is taking up space in a closet, or worse, in your mind. If you leave a lot of what you start unfinished, this habit could be hurting you and stealing some of the satisfaction that comes with accomplishing your dreams. So it’s especially important in midlife to learn how to finish what you start.
Unfinished projects may make you anxious
If you constantly feel anxious that time is passing too quickly, it could be because of projects you’ve left unfinished. You may be subconsciously worrying that you don’t have enough time left to accomplish all your dreams. It’s never too late to start writing, or to pick it back up, particularly if you sense it calling to you.
You will have issues with frustration
Leaving projects unfinished can be a deep source of frustration that spills into your personal and professional life. Your unfinished manuscript may make you resentful because you feel you don’t have time for the things you want to do. Without realizing it, you could take that out on others, when really you’re frustrated with yourself for not seeing the project through.
You won’t move forward, and you’ll miss out on joy
Finishing what you start is an important part of creating change. If you have multiple unfinished projects, you may have quit each time you hit a problem you didn’t know how to handle. That means you’re not pushing through the hard parts and growing your skills. If you aren’t changing, you’re stagnant, possibly stuck in a cycle of setting goals and not achieving them, missing out on the sense of accomplishment that is a real source of joy in midlife and beyond.
The top 3 reasons people don’t finish their books, and how to fix them
1. You lost motivation when challenges showed up. When you started, your idea was new and shiny. But if you got stuck because you skipped the foundational work, or hit a plot or theme problem you couldn’t solve, your motivation waned. Fix: Break the project into manageable pieces and tackle one stuck point at a time (a character issue, a plot problem, a piece of missing research). Reward yourself for steps well done.
2. Negative thoughts about the project. When the book comes to mind, do you think you’ll never finish, or dwell on how long and hard it is? “How will I ever write 75,000 words?” That kind of thinking keeps you from finishing. Fix: Flip it. Even at 500 words a day, that’s 15,000 words a month and 75,000 in five months, a solid book length.
3. Lack of discipline. You don’t have to write for hours every day to have a writer’s discipline. But you do have to make a plan for how often you’ll work on your book, and then stick to it, especially when you don’t feel like it. The more you return to the work on the hard days, the stronger your self-discipline muscle gets.
If you’ve always wanted to write a book and even tried a few times without finishing, it’s time to understand your reasons. Maybe you just need accountability and a writing plan. Maybe you need a professional to help you build a firm foundation and guide you on craft, structure, theme, and pacing. Don’t deny yourself the joy of setting a goal and achieving it. Imagine holding that finished manuscript and saying, “I finished my book.” It’s never too late to start (or restart). Email me and let’s make it happen.