What haven’t you been able to complete?

Are there things that haunt you because you start them and then they just seem to slip through your fingers and never get completed? Does your energy and determination last no more than a couple of days before something else takes your attention away?

If you find that there are a growing number of these unfinished things in your life, it may be time for you to stop doing anything new.

That’s right; stop!

This may sound a bit unorthodox but try it and you may be astonished at the outcome:

1. Make a list of the unfinished things.

2. Prioritize them.

3. Pick a date which will begin a three day period in which you do absolutely nothing new. No new projects, no new commitments, nothing. A three day weekend would be perfect for this.

4. Unplug your phone and turn off your cell phone.

Now spend the those three days doing only completion work on those things that have the highest priority. Set yourself a realistic goal. If you can only complete one thing in three days it’s okay. If you find that you can complete several things, great!

On the fourth day, take yourself out to a nice dinner in order to reward yourself!

You may have to repeat this process on a regular basis in order to fully catch up. This approach can get you back into the habit of focusing, without distraction, on those things which you have determined are priorities in your life.

Disconnecting yourself from the outside world for three days may not be such a bad idea. People used to disconnect themselves from all the “noise” on weekends when I was a kid… but somehow the weekend has now morphed into extended weekdays.

Set a date and get something completed!

-Bob Baran