You're Ripping Yourself Off

There are few things that strike fear in the heart of creative people more than finishing. Clients come to me and cite their biggest block is actually completing something. It makes sense. Finishing a project is like giving birth - the closer you get to the due date, the more things become restricted, the more you have to squeeze into the narrow confines of the birth canal to complete. You have to say no to distractions. You face the reality of your brilliant ideas, and it's not always a pretty picture. Restrictions are much less sexy than the excitement of possibility at the beginning of the creative cycle. And creative types like the notion of lots of freedom and space to create and play. So it's no wonder that creative people are known to harbor a closet full of abandoned projects.

Yet when we cycle through project after project and never bring any of them to completion, we rob ourselves of some very vital and powerful juju. Here are some of the gems that await you in the completion phase of any personal, professional or creative project.

You will gain confidence in your ability to stay with something. Staying with something, even when it is difficult, gives us extra karmic muscle. When we stay, we get to feel and experience our inner power. This confidence will extend to other areas of your life and will enhance all that you do.

Trust comes with the confidence of completing. As you lean into the final phase of creating, your trust in yourself builds. You learn to believe yourself when you say you are going to do something. With this trust comes self-respect and self-love.

You will glean enormous learning about your craft. What makes a completed piece is very different than what makes a fresh idea compelling. By completing, you delve into the very heart of what makes a piece good. And you want to be good at what you do, don't you?

And, while you are there, in the heart of your craft, you will discover something else: yourself. The themes and questions of your life will emerge in the process. What you value and hold close to your heart will come forth in your work. I always knew that writing was an act of self-discovery, but it wasn't until I was in the final laps of finishing my novel that I saw how true that platitude was.

These are some of the benefits that I have reaped from finishing. What might you get from completing? Ask yourself this question - What will be different for me when I finish ________? The answer might reveal a motivation and a reason for staying stuck. Don't deny yourself the pleasures and benefits of completing. You and your great ideas deserve the joy and satisfaction that comes from crossing the finish line.

This article is excerpted from Cynthia's e-book, Cross the Finish Line! Five Steps to Leap Over the Hurdles to Completion. Pick your copy up today and become a serial finisher.