The Finishing Problem

‘Bhaiyya, I started my exercise routine seriously,’ said Rinku. ‘But after two days I stopped. I’m mad at myself.’

‘Ah, the famous finishing problem!’ said Rakesh. ‘The world’s full of good intentions– get marks, get fit, get rich etc. Most of us start, then our momentum fizzles out and we lose our pot of gold.’

‘What gold bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul.

‘There’s a story of a man who was digging for gold,’ said Rakesh. ‘After much work he finds some gold. Then it dries up. He sells his equipment and leaves. The new owner hires a mining expert - who finds a lot of gold just three feet away from where the previous owner stopped digging. What does the story tell you?’

 ‘If we do not persevere and finish what we started, all our work goes waste,’ said Rinku.

‘Yes, the benefits of your work accrue only if you finish,’ said Rakesh. ‘Most times we give up just when we’re close to the result.’

‘How do we finish bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul.

‘With practice,’ said Rakesh. ‘Start with finishing small tasks like making your bed, putting your shoes and things in place, replying to emails everyday etc. Set small goals and complete them every day. These small practices build muscle and energise you. On the other hand, leaving things unfinished drains energy.’

‘Ok bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘What about bigger goals? Why do we lose motivation after a couple of days?’

‘Because most bigger, important things are long-term in nature,’ explained Rakesh. ‘We cannot see results immediately. With no instant gratification we get distracted. Have you heard of the Chinese bamboo? Its seed is watered for four years, during which time it is underground. Only in the fifth year it appears above ground and shoots up to a height of 90 feet in a mere six weeks. If we stop watering after four years or dig it up, our entire effort is in vain. Be it exercising or studying, when you persevere till the finish, you’ll be surprised at the results.’

‘Bhaiyya but do we have to finish everything?’ asked Rinku. ‘Aren’t some things not worth ‘finishing’?’

‘Good question,’ said Rakesh. ‘I read a blog by Scott H. Young on finishing things. He classifies things as ‘experiments’ and ‘commitments’. If it’s an experiment - a movie, book or a new idea, there’s no harm if you don’t finish. But if it’s important for your growth, like studying, exercising, learning new things etc, commit and finish. Break the big task into smaller tasks and finish them daily. Even if you fall behind it’s ok. Set smaller goals, reschedule, start, and stick with it. Slow down but don’t stop is the mantra. If you stop completely, you lose the pot of gold.’

‘Thanks bhaiyya,’ said Rahul with a smile. ‘Let’s drink small quantities of chai everyday.’

Pro Tip: Make it a habit to finish all that you start, especially the important tasks. It gets a lot of stuff done.

 

Exercise: Make a list of all the unfinished stuff in your life right now. Unanswered calls, mails, messages, jobs, promises. Finish or close them. You will find a lot of energy being restored. Make a plan to finish/close all the other things left unfinished.

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