How to Follow Through & Actually Finish What You Start

Do you find it hard to follow through and actually finish what you start? Great ideas and strong motivation when you begin but then quickly lose momentum? Then you end up fizzling out, feeling like you failed again?

This is common, you are definitely not alone, but following through is a habit, yes a habit, worth strengthening. Now I will say, of course, there is a distinction to be made between not completing something you’ve realized isn’t worth completing. Or walking away from an idea you no longer, for real, feel passionate about. What I’m talking about is seeing something through you’ve chosen and WANT to complete.

I’ve put together nine strategies that will help you build the cross-the-finish-line habit. These nine strategies are going to change the way you think. They are going to help you follow through and actually finish the things you start. The most important step you need to take is to start to think about what NOT following through means for your life. You always have to start with reflection and awareness. Where are you now, where are you going? Without a basis of comparison and a knowledge of what’s currently happening, you won’t get far. So take some time; write it down, go for a walk and think it through. Once you know, you can move on.

How is not following through impacting your happiness, choices and freedom?

How do you feel about yourself when you look at what you haven’t finished?

What do you actually want out of your life?

When you start to answer some of those questions and get clearer about what you actually want, then you can make the connection between what you want and what you have to do to get it. I can guarantee that leaving a trail of half finished tasks in your wake is not the answer.

So here we go, each of these strategies are really powerful, but you don’t need to use all of them – except building the habit, don’t skip that one. You do have to practice strengthening the muscle of following through and there is no better way than through small actions. Again, I love James Clear because he’s right. I have never been more successful than with consistent, small steps. And truthfully if you look at anything major you’ve ever achieved, it was step by step. Read through and find the ones that strike a cord with you. Then use them. Every time you find yourself abandoning something you’ve started, pull on one of them. Fill your toolbox up.

1. Build the Habit

Marie Forleo calls it taking care of your little balls. Because if you can’t build the habit of following through on the little things, how will you manage the big ones? For instance, do you have a smattering of half done tasks? Did you start folding the laundry, get distracted and start writing an email? Go back and finish folding, then write the email and finish both to completion. You can build your follow through muscle in small ways, and AGAIN, how is anything really done other than step by step?

2. It’s Not a Choice, Commit

Sometimes, I mean all the time, there is no magic solution. You just have to decide what matters to you, that it is a priority and make yourself do it. Do not make it a choice, it’s something you are doing. It’s more important than you think. We live in the now but going forward to the visualization step, imagine your life if you don’t do it? Do you want that?

One of those things for me is flossing my teeth. So I make it the first time I do in the day; get up, drink water and brush and floss. Then it’s done! I was once told that flossing is one of the biggest predictors of overall health. So each time I feel that urge to pass because I’m feeling rushed, I want to get writing before my daughter wakes up, I tell myself “Nope, you want to do this. It’s the biggest predictor of your overall health.” and then I do it. Commit to yourself, figure out what is important and keep doing it.

3. Make it Visual

Imagine what you want for your life. What are the things future you would be upset that you didn’t start. Make a list, keep it tangible and think about the consequences of not doing those things. You can also imagine the pay off, what will it feel like to have worked on your goals and complete them? This is such a powerful exercise because it pulls us out of our day-to-day and gets us thinking about the ramifications of ‘not doing’. It creates a sense of urgency and kicks our butts into gear.

I think of that excerpt from Mary Oliver “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” And it’s true, you have to hold your life with that kind of reverence. It is precious and you just get one, so CHOOSE it. And keep making choices because you deserve to follow through and finish what matters to you. I will also add on, for those of you who would benefit from a vision board, that is another type of visualization. But remember to keep it connected to action.

4. Do One Thing at a Time (and finish it)

If you are anything like me, you can get excited about 5 different things at a time. Or really deeply involved in something until you find the next thing that excites you. Now I’m not slamming that because I loved this TED talk about “multipotentialites”. But you can have multiple passions and still focus on one thing at a time and follow through and finish what you start. If you have too many balls in the air you probably aren’t doing a great job at all of them. You’re also dividing your focus and not allowing yourself to be mindful. So choose one goal and do just that so you can work your follow through and finish what you start.

I am newly taking on a 30 Day Challenge and it’s a great way to create focus. Give yourself 30 days to really hone in on one thing you want to give up, change or start. It’s the perfect practice for choosing one thing and finishing it.

5. Let Go of Perfectionism

Just do this in general, it’s a killer. Nothing is perfect and perfectionism gets in your way. There is nothing that will stop you faster from completing something than trying to do it perfectly. I speak from experience. Because what’s so difficult about approaching things with the perfectionism lens is you see all the things you have to do and it stalls you.

“I can’t launch my website until it looks perfect.” So you never finish it.

“Apply for that job? I don’t check all the boxes.” So you stop looking.

“I don’t know all the steps to get there so I can’t start until I learn it all.” So you give up because it’s too overwhelming.

Just know that while you are waiting to do it perfectly, other people are actually doing it. So forget about perfect and just keep going until you’re done!

6. Get Comfortable with Discomfort

We can’t love every part of working on a project or doing something we love. You can feel passionate and excited and then hate the drudgery of certain parts of a project. But you have to familiarize yourself with discomfort and monotony if you want to do awesome things. You will have to make phone calls that make you nervous, put yourself out there and do the tedious, not so fun stuff. Don’t let that stop you. This is where a lot of people walk away. Instead of not following through, take a rest day. Learn to push through the uncomfortable thing and do it. You will teach yourself that you can do hard things and see that it’s not that bad. And even if it is, it’s survivable.

7. Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress towards a goal means you are more likely to achieve it, research backs it up. So find a way to show your progress, it doesn’t need to be fancy. Whether it’s a calendar you mark off each day or a chart you fill in as you get closer. One neat idea I came across was to colour in a thermometer, like charities do, each time you do something towards your goal. Then when you complete it your thermometer will be full. I also have a printable 30 day tracker you can download for free.

8. Celebrate

Don’t forget to celebrate your wins, even the small ones. Tell yourself you are proud of what you’ve done, that you haven’t quit. It’s a big deal! Learning how to follow through and finish what you start is hard. You deserve to celebrate your successes in whatever way is meaningful to you. Maybe you buy yourself that thing you’ve been wanting once you hit a certain goal, enjoy some takeout or call a friend. Take a long bath, invest in a course or take a rest day. Whatever it is, don’t skip this step. Really revel in the feeling of accomplishment.

9. Know When to Let Go, For Real

And last but not least, know when to let go. Yes you are practicing following through but don’t keep on keeping on with something that you aren’t actually finding your passionate about. It’s an important skill to know what to let go of too and there is no shame in it. In fact, you are discovering more about yourself which will only lead you closer to what you actually want.

I hope these strategies are lighting a fire in you and you’ve found a few that resonate. Just remember, when you get overwhelmed, rest don’t quit. You can take a break but taking imperfect, consistent action is more important than doing it ‘right’. You are capable of amazing change and can learn how to follow through and finish what you start. And make yourself proud.