The Finisher

The Finisher

New Year resolutions usually take the form of setting goals with a specific purpose in one particular realm of your life; such as stop smoking, losing weight or flossing daily. While all these goals are admirable and possibly life improving; I have decided to take a less anchored yet equally challenging road to my resolve this year. Perhaps you are brave enough to jump on the wagon with me? My resolve is to be a Finisher! Very few people in this world are finishers; this is why success is often seen as difficult or unattainable. It requires a certain amount of self-discipline and tenacity to be a finisher. Imagine; you are at the starting blocks of a race, 100 meter sprint, or marathon; your choice. The starting pistol sounds and you take off at top speed thinking of all the glory at the end of this race; then, at the halfway mark you stop running and begin walking the track. Then you start to perform another sporting event; the long jump or shot putt for instance…. absurdly most people live their lives this way. Without exaggeration how many things do you think you have started and never finished? Most people are Starters; even though starting can be difficult, most of us manage to get at least that far. Even the world’s worst procrastinators start their projects when it comes down to crunch time. How many of us out there started guitar lessons or tennis lesson when we were younger? Do you have crafts and household projects that are 2/3 of the way complete and are serving no purpose because they are not finished? How many half done projects lay cluttered in your mind with the “someday maybe I’ll get to it” reminder going off in your head at inopportune times. What you may not know is that though those projects are out of sight they are not out of mind. Somewhere in your subconscious, there is that little nagging voice trying to figure out when you are going to finish. Those nagging thoughts are a major cause of stress and sleepless night’s in our lives. Not being a Finisher is inadvertently bad for your health; taking a toll on you physically, mentally and emotionally. Sadly, this kind of behavior is also bad for your self-esteem because you start to doubt your own ability to follow through on your own promises. This is not the type of relationship I want to have with someone; especially not with myself. The secret to being a success is to become a Finisher; see the task or project through to the very end. If at first you don’t succeed; dust yourself off and try again should be the attitude taken instead of quitting. Make it a habit to follow through to achieve your desired results. Going back to the race, imagine at the halfway point, you dig down deep within yourself to muster all your strength, energy, and conviction. Focusing on your goal, you cross over the finish line; a feeling of elation and pride rushes over you; this is what it feels like when you see something to fruition. This year my plate will encompass many tasks and projects; but they will all have one thing in common I will work my hardest to see every undertaking through to completion. Not only will it better my opinion of myself, but I will be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor, whether it is in learning a new language, organizing my closet once and for all, or growing my income. “I’m finished!” is my new Mantra for the year!