How to Finish What You Start in Midlife

Do you pass the hallway of forgotten projects when you enter your house? Are there dozens of unfinished manuscripts, book outlines, essays, or blog posts on your hard drive? Maybe your unfinished business is taking space in a closet in your home or, worse, occupying precious space in your mind. If you leave a lot of the things you start unfinished, whether or not you realize it, this habit could be hurting you and stealing some of the satisfaction that comes with getting older and accomplishing our dreams. So, it’s especially important in midlife to learn how to finish what you start.

Unfinished Projects May Make You Anxious

If you find yourself constantly feeling anxious and worrying that time is passing too quickly, it could be because of projects you have left unfinished. You may be subconsciously worrying that you don’t have enough time left to accomplish all of your dreams. Even if you don't currently feel any anxiety, this doesn't mean you won't eventually have anxious feelings because of your unfinished projects and unpursued life goals. So it’s important to realize that it’s never too late to get started writing, or to pick it back up, particularly if you sense it calling to you or weighing on your subconscious.

You Will Have Issues with Frustration

Leaving projects unfinished can be a deep source of frustration in your life. This frustration may affect your personal life and your professional life, causing you to lash out at loved ones, coworkers, and maybe even your boss. Even if you abandoned a writing project, or if it just fell by the wayside because you were busy, your unfinished manuscript or book outline may make you resentful because you feel you don’t have time for the things you want to do in life. Without realizing it, you could take this out on others, when in fact, you’re really frustrated with yourself for not seeing your project through to completion.

You Won't Move Forward and You’ll Miss Out on Joy

Finishing what you start is an important part of creating change in your life. If you have multiple unfinished writing projects, for example, you may have quit every time you encountered a problem with the essay or manuscript that you didn’t know how to handle. Instead of attempting to learn new writing skills or improve your craft, you set it aside. But that means you’re not pushing through the hard parts and growing your skills. If you aren't changing yourself, you are stagnant, possibly caught up in a repeating cycle of setting goals and then not achieving them. It seems benign enough to not achieve self-imposed goals, but you’ll miss out on a sense of accomplishment, which is another source of joy in midlife and beyond.

The Top 3 Reasons People Don’t Finish Writing Their Books and How to Fix Them

1.    You’ve Lost Motivation When Challenges Showed Up

When you started the project, your idea was new and shiny and your enthusiasm for starting something new motivated you. But if you got stuck because you didn’t do the foundational work you needed to do at the beginning, or you came across a plot or theme problem you didn’t know how to solve, your motivation probably waned.

FIX: The best way to combat this loss of motivation is by breaking your project down into more manageable pieces and address one thing that has you stuck (a character issue, a plot problem, a piece of missing information that needs researching). And it’s good to reward yourself along the way for steps well done. Conquering these more manageable pieces will help keep you motivated even when the project is long.

 2. Negative Thoughts About The Project

Another reason you may find it difficult to keep going on your manuscript is the way you think about the project. When it comes to mind, do you think you will never finish it? Or is your mind filled with thoughts of how hard or long the project is? i.e. How will I ever write 75,000 words? I’ve never written anything longer than an email. Both are negative paths of thinking, and they will keep you from finishing.

FIX: Transform your thinking to the positive. Think of it like this: even if I only write 500 words per day, that’s 15,000 words per month, and 75,000 words in five months—a suitable length for a book, to be sure.

3. Lack Of Discipline

Another reason people can't finish their manuscripts is they don’t practice self-discipline. You don’t have to write hours per day, every day of the year, to have the self discipline of a writer. But you have to make a plan for how often you will work on your book, and then stick to that plan, even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it. And the more you return to your writing work on the days when it’s hard, the stronger you’ll get at writing through the tough spots and the stronger your self-discipline muscle will become.

If you’ve always wanted to write a book, and if you’ve even tried a few times and haven’t finished, it's time to understand your reasons for not doing it. If you feel a tug to write, maybe you just need some accountability and someone to help establish a writing plan. Or maybe you need a professional to help you develop a firm foundation and outline for your book, and offer guidance along the way with writing craft, structure, theme, pacing and industry knowledge.

 Don’t deny yourself the sense of joy and accomplishment that comes from setting a goal and achieving it. Imagine what it will feel like to hold that finished manuscript in your hands and say, “I finished my book.”

 I’d love to partner with you to make your writing dreams a reality. It’s never too late to start (or restart) writing.

Go here and book a free consult with me.