Why so many never finish what they start and how to break the cycle.
Here is a picture of me at the top of Mt. Monadnock. This mountain was challenging because just when you think you got to the top, there is more. However, I didn’t mark this hike as completed until I finished my trek to the top! Exhausted, I still progressed and here I am at it’s peak.
This blog almost didn’t happen. When it comes to the essentials of what needs to be done like earning and making a living through my corporate job, or taking care of my everyday life things, that is easy for me. When it comes to acting on a creative idea I have had, I often procrastinate and don’t get out of my head. The procrastination isn’t a lack of motivation but actually a result of so much more. After reflecting on the many ideas I have had that went into oblivion, I was able to come up with a list of reasons why some people, including myself, just never tie their shoes on their ideas.
1. Fear or Lack of Faith This one has often held me back. However to overcome this fear, you have to know your “why”. A few questions to clarify this: Is whatever you are doing to gain additional income?If it is money related, are you looking to have an additional stream of income or become rich?Is it a hobby that just makes you happy, where you don’t care about the money?Are you looking to become “notable” or be noticed as a step towards something bigger?
The reason knowing your why is important, is because that helps to clarify your fears to begin a process of self-reflection to get unstuck and move forward. In my case, of the many ideas I have had, I didn’t act on many of them because my “why” wasn’t clear to me. Though each idea had a purpose, as I thought further, I wasn’t clear on my expected outcome…the question of “so what?” This blog was a result of doing something I enjoy such as talking about my thoughts and ideas, sharing my life with people that have genuine interest and having an outlet for my social needs. I used to love socializing and getting together with groups of friends. That is going to be pretty tough being a single mom and times have changed. What IS in my control though is, finding an outlet such as this to share and engage with people who are interested. I don’t use Facebook, and Instagram doesn’t give me all I need with regard to expressing this part of myself. So blogging became a great fit for my why and my so what. So what? I get to share and connect in ways that are meaningful, to me.
2. Lack of Resources A lot of ideas I had in the past would require resources that weren’t readily available, and that would also require others to get on board with my idea. Whether that would be finding an investor or outsourcing. Personally, depending on the type of investment you want to make and what you want your return to be whether that is monetary or for personal and or sentimental purposes, will determine how much you are willing to invest in said resources. Truthfully most ideas will require some sort of investment whether it is time or money, but you have to be honest with yourself with regard to what you are willing to part-ways with and how much you can stretch yourself in either of those areas, and still be “comfortable”. You know your comfort level, you know where you are in life and what you can handle. So that is up to your spirit to determine how far you want to go with it. What you put in is what you will get out, often. There is also no guarantee on return when its cash investments, so you have be okay with getting a negative return as well. My rule of thumb is, if I don’t have the cash and my “why” is monetarily driven and I am dependent on return, I need a risk strategy or back up plan if I part ways with those funds. Taking a loan on a venture like that isn’t comfortable, to me. However, some are high-risk and I am just more conservative here. If I have the cash and my “why” is not dependent on return, then I go for it. I look at is as no different than taking myself out for an expensive meal, except I get to actually have a product at the end of the day!
3. Mindset or a Negative Self Talk Truly, this can go a few ways. There are some people that truly believe in the power of putting what you want our into the universe and it will come back. I am one of those people that has done a vision board, and watched it actually manifest. It was actually pretty terrifying! However, It does start with a mindset, you can do whatever you put your mind to. When I say that, I mean, it takes Right Effort, Right Concentration, Right Action and Right Intention. While these are a few tenets of The Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, it also applies to life and how you have the ability to curate what it is that you truly want. In this context, different from Buddhism, the outcome might not be liberation, however the vehicle to which you reach your goals still requires the above. I don’t believe in luck, I believe in action and as long as I have a negative mindset or one that is “waiting”, I am not doing something today to get there. So, rather than thinking something will never happen for you, clarify your “why”, figure out the resources your need, and adjust your mindset to take find ways to take action.
4. Priorities If it is important to you, you will make it happen and make time for it. Periodt! If something you want to happen isn’t coming to fruition, be honest with yourself about where it is falling on your list of priorities. Make it a top priority if you want to see it to the end.
5. Lack of Organization or Breaking it Down With this blog, I initially wanted to create something like a social media single parents site filled with resources! However, I realized I didn’t have the resources I needed to bring that idea to fruition. Also, being pregnant and alone, I didn’t have the energy to take the “Right Action”, to pull those resources together. A close friend of mine and fellow Virgo helped me realize the importance of organizing my ideas into smaller components that make it easier to accomplish. Whatever idea you have, it is important to make small wins along the way. For me, it was looking at every piece of my re-branded blog idea, having a vision, figuring out how I can start it with where I am at and then making it a priority. On many ideas I was always “waiting” for something. Then, I decided it was time to make the idea fit where I am currently at vs. waiting for something to happen in my life to fit my idea.
Through this list, I was able to finally take action and have a product (this blog), that aligned with where I am in my journey, fulfilled my “why” and made sense to me. So when you have an awesome idea, to me figure out how to tie your shoes. Sometimes, the shoe won’t fit, so be willing to find a pair that will, which eventually motivates you to tie them so that you can get to walking. They might unravel throughout your journey, but what matters is you are moving forward and getting your idea outside of your head! You got this!