People have told me that I am a self-starter, but I am more motivated to finish than to start.
I put off starting as long as I can. Even when I am excited about the possibilities of something, I need the spark of inspiration to get started. Starting takes effort.
But I will make sacrifices I do not want to make, putting up with unpleasant circumstances or overcoming obstacles, to complete a project which is important only to me. I finish some tasks just because I said I would.
Apparently I have a lot of internal momentum, or inertia. I am much more likely to continue working, despite the challenges, than start over.
Bringing something to completion makes me feel balanced. There is a sense of achievement and accomplishment when we finish. Finishing makes me feel complete.
I usually need to feel a need or out of balance to start something new.
In some ways, finishing feels safer than starting. Finishing reinforces the way I see myself as someone who follows through, who gets things done. Starting a new effort can test my abilities.
I tend to get focused on the starting and the finishing. I can remember the day I started a new job, or finished a degree in school. I remember when someone asked me take on a particular challenge, or when I met a specific goal.
Starting and finishing stand out in my mind.
It is easy for me to forget that all the beginnings and endings are pieces of a larger picture. Each is a step on a longer journey that began before I can remember and will last longer than I will.
Which is more challenging for you, starting or finishing?
How do you feel when you finish a project, or when you begin?
[Image by Andrew Hurley]
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