The phrase Jack of All and Master of None is the best way to describe someone who starts many things but finishes none. Some indescribable urge initiates a fire which starts something but our lives are tied to many things, be it family, friends, professional and personal obligations, all of which serve as obstacles to pursuing something till completion. But the biggest obstacle is us. We find the fire with which something began starts dousing, interest starts waning and it becomes a liability rather than an asset.
Be it reading a book, learning a new sport or a language or something heavier like launching a product. All of this stops because of something else new or because of timelines going haywire.
Here some tips to get you to through this habit:
Be Selective about Your Projects: Make sure it is not just an infatuation, and it something you want to spend a crucial amount of time or life doing it. Filter your deep love affairs from your infatuations, and pick your love, you see a future with. Instead of jumping into something, why not just a taste of it. For eg, if you are interested in starting a new business, you can start by reading some books or talking to some people who have started a similar business. A research like this in the primary stages will help you understand if it is an infatuation or an affair which has a future.
Estimate the Resources you need and set specific timelines: Anything and everything will have some investment from your side, if not money, your time and energy. Make sure the project you pick is feasible enough for such investments. Also keep in mind, as the project starts shaping you will need to start investing perhaps more money or time. Set a timetable which will help you allocate your resources and set timelines so that you get a clarity about how much the project will expect of you.
Perfectionism is only for Ideal situations: perfectionists find it to move from step 1 to step 2, because of their obsessiveness about getting everything absolutely right or perfect. You need to prioritize your time and learn to move to the next step. If there is something you would want to change you can always come back later. But if you know something you are obsessing about doesn’t really make a difference, then move on and give your time to something which is much more important and likely to have more of an impact.
Constantly Connect with your Desired End Goal: There is always a small trigger to something big. An inspiration could be human, object or something just as intangible as a feeling. For eg; you have a role model and you aspire to become as big as him/her or you want to buy your own house or you just want to lose a weight and look or feel good. Whenever you hit a saturation point or meet challenges that almost break your will, go back and think about your goal. Think about what inspired you to pursue that goal, what you will achieve once you reach that goal; when you think about the end result, you will get the required drive or push to complete the process.
Your goals and aspirations add meaning to your life and everything you achieve a goal or fulfill your aspiration, you will love and respect life more!
