Day 9: Get it Done.

Embracing the bite is a great approach when you are having trouble starting something or continuing with a long and involved project. But if your problem tends to come at the end, where you quit just before a project is complete, then you need to shift your focus to finishing.

I am talking to myself here.

When I organized the entire basement last Spring, I left a small bucket of items to put away. I'd already sorted through the stuff and I knew what was in there: I just never got around to putting the items away.

It's still waiting for me down there somewhere.

For the love of all things finished and complete, I do not know why.

It may be that I lose interest in the project: I'm just bored with the whole thing.

Maybe I was just tired? I'd been sorting and putting things in various places for a couple of months by the time I got down to that bucket.

And could it be that I am afraid to finish because that means the project is over and that means there's going to be a test? There's always a test, isn't there?

Ok, so in case you can't tell, that last bit was totally facetious. Even so, as I get right near the end, as my foot approaches that finish line, I slow down. I want to lie down and take a nap right along side that proverbial hare. I'm looking over my shoulder, expecting....what?

So, in order to have a project for this post I cleaned out my upstairs freezer. (Jules inspired me, I must confess.) It was kind of cheating because not finishing would have meant I was stuck with all kinds of melting things all over my counter. That's aheckuva built-in deadline -- and I find that creating or having a deadline is one of the most effective ways to get the job done. So is promising myself a reward when the job is done.

I'm giving myself bonus points.

Not only did I create this totally cool banana bucket out of an old milk jug but I did everything  while a casserole baked in the oven.  (I guess that was another sort of deadline!)

ETA: You can catch all the posts in the series here.