have incomplete projects become a thing?

4 ways to help you finish

I have a confession. One that I’m a bit embarrassed to admit.

I’m behind by 11 months in my business bookkeeping. Gulp!

It crept up on me. I was doing well logging my income and expenses for the first few months of last year. And then life threw me one curveball after another.

I needed to channel all my energy towards my family and my clients.

Categorizing a bunch of receipts didn’t feel pressing…until I realized I have just over a month before my accountant needs all of our income tax information.

Now it’s become a thing!

I know I’m not alone.

So many of us can relate to projects lurking in the shadows that we’ve ignored for far too long.

That’s why I want to share my 4 favorite tips for getting on the other side of an uncompleted project.

#4 is what I’m currently using to get my bookkeeping done!

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4 WAYS TO COMPLETE WHAT YOU STARTED

1. Follow through on the decisions you’ve already made

Somewhere in your home you’ve already made the decision. There's a bag of clothes that don't fit sitting in your closet, books you'll never read piled in front of your bookcase, or a stack of plastic containers on the kitchen counter that were replaced by glass ones.

You’ve done the hard part. You’ve made the decision to let go of the thing. Now it's time to finish the cycle. Drop off the donations. Recycle the containers.

These things you’ve decided to let go are ones that you don’t love, need, or use. By this very definition, they have a lower vibrational energy for you. When they continue to sit in your home (for weeks or months 🫣), this heavier energy builds and impacts your space…and you.

Yes, you’ll likely have more things to recycle or donate in the future, but as we head towards the lunar new year - make a commitment to complete the tasks you’ve already started.

2. Declutter projects that are in process, but no longer in alignment

We’ve all gotten excited about a project only to have it lose its luster. The supplies that we so gleefully gathered are tucked away in the back of a closet or the corner of a room - while our inner critic hurls rude comments about never completing anything.

This is your permission slip to look at your unfinished projects and release the ones that feel more like obligation than inspiration.

Yes, it’s more than okay to donate the collection of jewelry beads, the never read calligraphy books, or the empty gallery wall frames.

3. Simplify overly ambitious projects

Sometimes we get excited about the ideal version of a project, only to feel overwhelmed by it.

Maybe it’s the photos all pristinely organized in a scrapbook or the recipes meticulously written out on personalized cards or the organic garden that rivals your grandmother’s.

But, it all feels exhausting. And procrastination has set in.

This is when it’s okay to simplify your project. Ditch the fancy scrapbook and easily store photos in photo boxes. Swap out the huge backyard garden with a few porch containers of tomatoes or herbs.

4. Forget the end result and instead focus on the very next step

The thought of decluttering an entire basement or refinishing a dining room credenza (or catching up on nearly a year of bookkeeping) is enough to stop anyone in their tracks.

Focusing on the end result can highlight the many steps to get there. Which can feel overwhelming - and make the project difficult to start.

Instead, focus on the very first step. Recycling the empty boxes in the basement. Clearing off the top of the credenza. Finding your password to open your accounting software.

Do that step.

And then think about the next step. And the next. And the next.

Before you know it, that big project will feel incredibly manageable.

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NOW OVER TO YOU

How do you motivate yourself to complete a project?

I'd love to hear in the comments.

And be sure to join us for our monthly LIVE workshop on February 27th at 1:00pm EST, where we're going to talk about how to feng shui your dedicated space - whether that's a home office, a writing nook, an art studio, or a wellness corner.

The workshop is free for all paid subscribers of The Intentional Home.

A recording will be available if you can’t make it live.

xoxo
Dorena
Space Doula®