Finish What You’ve Started: 5 Keys to Following Through

Confession time: I love the beginning of things – I love the start of the year, each month, each week, and mornings are my favorite time of day. I’m a strong starter. I have creative ideas and like to jump in with both feet. I’m not afraid to learn something new – in fact, I love the challenge.

That all sounds great, but where I tend to come up short is in the follow-through – finishing what I have started. Anyone else like me? I tend to get bored with a task I start and let myself get distracted by anything and everything. This is an area I’m definitely working on, so this blog is as much for me as anyone who reads it.

My husband, on the other hand, is very good at finishing anything he starts. I don’t think I have ever witnessed him procrastinate on something that needs to get done. He has the philosophy, “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” So, I encourage you to listen to or watch the podcast below for some great insights on being a finisher. I will outline what we talked about below.

Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast

Press On

Philippians 3:12-14 says, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is discussing the importance of finishing strong – pressing toward your goal. Many people come into the Christian faith excited to learn about God by reading their Bible and attending church. But then, as time goes on, they let the distractions of the world enter (as Mark 4 says), and they become unfruitful.

Paul knows that is a common trend for people and therefore encourages us to “press on.” When you press something, you put energy and strength behind your effort. Pressing on means that there is some resistance on the other side. If you keep on and don’t give up, the promise in Galatians 6:9 says that you WILL reap.

We need to be okay with embracing the hard things in life. It’s really in the hard things that we experience growth in spirit, soul, and body. As many of you know, I just returned from a pilgrimage I took in Italy. We hiked around 80 miles through the beautiful hills of Tuscany over six days. I had never walked 20 miles in a day before, and I started getting blisters on my feet that continued to get worse with each mile. Every step I took was painful by the last day of the hike, but I was determined to finish what I started.

I pressed on and purposed to focus on the beauty of the scenery, the conversations with those I was with, and the peace and joy in my heart. I certainly could have opted for a taxi ride, but I would have missed the blessing of the trail.

5 Keys to Finish What You Start

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 reads, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

There is a way to approach difficult tasks and finish what you have started. Just as athletes train themselves to compete, we need the same discipline to complete the tasks we have begun. Here are some practical keys to follow through and finish what you start.

Set Goals and Dates to Achieve Them

We all know the importance of setting goals. We need first to create a broad goal and then break it down into smaller manageable tasks with dates to be completed. I like to set my monthly goals, then put them into weekly goals, and then break them down into daily goals. Don’t beat yourself up if the goal takes longer than you planned. The most important thing is that you’re making progress.

Give Yourself Guide Rails

Guide rails are habits you put into your life that set you up for success. For example, I had a goal to exercise every day. Therefore, I started setting out my workout clothes the night before. I actually put them on as I’m sitting on the toilet. This habit helps facilitate the goal of exercising.

Another example is the goal of good sleep. Therefore, I have tried to put the “guide rails” of 3-2-1 sleep. Three hours before bed, no food. Two hours before bed, no work, and 1 hour before bed, no screens.

The bottom line is that you have to make habits in your life to support what you want to accomplish. Another “guide rail” I use for getting work done is not looking at my email before 11:00 a.m. I tackle my agenda before I start getting to anyone else’s requests.

Give Yourself Rewards Along the Way

We all love rewards; go ahead and reward yourself for your hard work. Just don’t reward yourself with something that will knock you off your goal. For example, don’t eat a bowl of ice cream as a reward for eating healthy!

Have an Accountability Partner

I have developed the habit of putting on my workout clothes first thing in the morning, but I have also found a friend who wants to exercise. We meet every morning at 6:00 to exworkout. I am more apt to go when I know I have a friend there to meet me.

Don’t Start a New Project Till You Finish the Last One

Yep, this is a hard one for me, but I know I will accomplish so much more when I see a project through before starting the next one. Multitasking will derail any progress you are making. Stay focused on one thing at a time and ask someone to be your accountability partner ¬– someone who will ask if you completed what you said you would.

Being a finisher is being a person with integrity. You will be a person of your word – saying you will complete something but fail to follow through. Press on even when it gets hard, and your reward will be great!

Let me know your thoughts below. What is something you’re working on or a goal that you need to press on to the finish line?

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