Guest Post by Rachel Botsman | The power of *not* finishing something
This is a guest post by WWSG thought leader, Rachel Botsman, originally posted here.
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Do you prefer starting or finishing things?
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We’ve recently finished renovating our house. Or have we? All in all, it’s been a two-year project, saga, money pit, or labour of love, depending on the day. Last winter, we had no electricity or back to our house. The top two floors that were finished flooded and we had to move out. And then, to top it all off, we got burgled — twice.Never again! Now that it’s done, I feel immense relief but find myself wondering, “Are we really finished?” My husband seems to find more wood to saw, sand, and paint (he loves that sander!) I keep coming up with more garden, or weirdly, lighting ideas. The experience has made me think a lot about the psychology of finishing. Three types of finishing problems “Finish what you’ve started,” is advice we’re all given by teachers, parents, or bosses at some point in our lives. But is this wise advice? I think there are three different types of finishing problems — never starting, stopping halfway, and never being done. 1. NEVER STARTING: The first category of finishing issues ironically begins with the first step — trouble starting. Fear and lethargy are the ultimate non-starter enemies:
Nothing ever gets finished because it’s easier to come up with reasons not to start. It’s the mindset of, “I’ll start reading that book, clearing my garage, looking for a new job… but maybe I won’t because…” The challenge is often finding the headspace, energy, or time to start something new. 2. STOPPING HALFWAY: Then there are the dreaded blocks that stop us from not completely finishing things — a work project, a learning course, a new business, a half-knitted scarf, a Netflix series… We leave things a little undone for all kinds of reasons including:
It’s a type of finishing problem that results in stopping, pushing something aside for later, or simply giving up. We’re told that to overcome this issue we need more of what Angela Duckworth famously called “grit.” But there is more to finishing than persistence. Setting realistic expectations is key. At the start of something new, always consider the planning fallacy” (also known as Hofstadter’s law). If you’ve never heard it, states: “It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.” The project charts for our renovation were almost a waste of paper because every task took double the time planned. It’s why the Sydney Opera House was finished 10 years later than scheduled! Realistic planning is hard because we tend to base finishing times on best-case scenarios. It’s easy to underestimate the abilities, resources, and time needed to see something through. Finishing and the power of trust In the workplace, starting things is generally much easier than completing them. We crave the energy kick fresh starts bring. How many good starters vs. great finishers do you have on your team? Identifying the reasons why we don’t complete things is important because finishing is really important when it comes to trust. It gives us:
* A side note: I’ve seen many people in organizations not realizing how important setting clear expectations around what finishing looks like is to trust. A powerful question to ask: are you aligned on what “done” means? |
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3. NEVER BEING DONE: The last type of finishing problem is when it’s hard to recognize or to be satisfied when things really are done. Do you enjoy the satisfaction of finishing certain types of things?
It’s easier to finish things with clear and specific end points — last pages, finish lines, awards, or launch dates. But creative projects where you could just do a bit more are harder to finish. When I received a print copy of my first book, I sat there underlining all the bits I changed in the second edition…I know 🙂 It’s easy to classify the last issue with finishing as being bogged down with perfectionism. But what if something deeper is at work? Here’s what I’ve realised about creative projects: Getting things just right will never materialize. We find it hard to let go of something finished because we constantly reset our expectations. It becomes hard to let go because we want to be better or just right. But here’s another thing about being comfortable with not finishing: Rushing to the end can be about a discomfort with the uncertainty of the middle. We want to finish because we resist the discomfort of doubt. We crave the clarity of the endpoint. Creative thoughts are like a garden; it’s never really done. Sometimes things are just a continuous process without a ribboned finishing line — and that’s just fine. Qu for you to think about: What do you find easy and hard to finish? So, here’s to the joy of finishing and never being done. |
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