This week I’ve started making the changes that will take me forward into next year. It’s going slower than I’d hoped and yet I realize this is exactly when I can potentially be derailed from finishing what I’d started. The bright shiny object of moving on with the new can easily take me away from completing what I’d set out to do.

I’ve realized I no longer want to leave things “to finish off later”. They need to be finished off now!

1.       To free up the unconscious nagging that goes on in my head.

2.       For that sense of satisfaction – a job well done, rather than nearly done.

3.       To celebrate and recognize what I’ve created.

4.       To reflect on what I’ve learned.

5.       To put it away as a fait accompli.

6.       To begin the next with a clear mind.

Although I’ve been focusing on year-long goals, this same principle can be applied to any project, task or goal, no matter how small. I’ll use a simple example – preparing a meal for guests. The guests’ enjoyment of the meal requires the chef’s preparation of the menu, timing of the various courses, and clean up afterwards. Without all the components the meal can be one that neither chef nor guests will enjoy. This meal needs to be finished off now, in full, for all to enjoy and to clear the space for the next meal to be prepared.

Bright shiny objects can distract from the final product. How easily the distractions appear and how easy it can be to fall into the trap of letting little things slip by unfinished. If you’re eye’s been taken off the ball bring it back and finish it.

Are you losing focus at this late stage? Talking it through with a friend or a coach can help bring back the focus, allowing you to finish what you’d set out to accomplish and to enjoy the sense of satisfaction of a job well done.