Mary Poppins says, “once begun is half done.” So true. Half done. The killer is in the completion. In addition to my To Do list I also have a Finish list. Seriously. Something goes on my To Do list, I do it halfway, then I put that same project on my Finish list. There’s something terribly wrong with this.
I pour a batch of candles but neglect to shrink-wrap and label them. I print out magnet images but don’t cut them out. I don’t really consider this procrastination because I actually start the project. I just put off finishing it. I guess that’s procrastination after all.
When I start and finish a task in one chunk of time I feel like an actual grown-up. Like today, I was cleaning my bathroom and was so tempted to just do the countertops and sink and leave the tub, toilet and floor for another day. Why does my brain think that way? It’s counter-productive! What makes it worse is I know a half-finished task nagging at me drives me out of my mind. And yet I continue to do it.
Be assured I cleaned my entire bathroom all at once. I was so proud. I also did loads of laundry and folded everything, but they remain in the basket. I made dinner and washed dishes afterwards, but the dishes remain “air drying” in the sink.
There has to be a name for this disorder. Some may call it the too-much-on-your-plate syndrome. I don’t want to call it that because I dislike the phrase too-much-on-your-plate. Others may call it disorganization disorder. That’s more to my liking, but makes me feel really badly about myself. I’ve vowed to become more organized on many occasions; I start to get myself more organized but then don’t finish the plan.
Maybe I’m being too hard on myself. The past few weeks have been muddled with the decline and demise of Husby’s dad ~ that’s a pretty good excuse isn’t it? Maybe now our lives will slowly regain some normalcy and I’ll get back on track and see tasks and projects through to their completion. I can only hope. If I have a household and business filled with unfinished projects I’ll absolutely lose my mind.
What do you do to keep yourself on track? Are you able to start a project and finish it to completion all in one sitting…on a consistent basis? Do the tasks you don’t have time to start and/or finish drive you crazy, just sitting there begging you to do them?
One good thing: I finished this blog post. Yay me!
PS ~ I always finish everything eventually. Except for putting photographs in an album. I’m pretty sure I’ll never, ever finish that project.
Auntie B's Wax 
This is so much like the post I was going to write today – that I was supposed to have written yesterday – that it’s scary. Only you said it much more eloquently than I would have. I absolutely identify!
I’m so glad there are people out there who are as half-done as I am! Well, not glad because I don’t wish this on anyone, but it’s good to know I’m not alone. After giving it some thought I decided my problem is time. I wonder
sometimeshow organized and up-to-date my life would be if I quit my day job and had that extra ten hours a day to do things that actually matter to me. I smell a post brewing on that subject too! Good luck, Cindy!I have to say I am just like this. I am a HUGE to do list but an even bigger to finish list. For me the one thing that makes me motivated is doing stuff for me ie working out, getting all pretty in the am, making time with friends…when I am filling up my spare time with fun me time I am more motivated to finish the mundane tasks with the leftover time- if there is any that is 😉
Me time? What’s that?! Maybe that’s my problem ~ not enough me time. I suppose it’s true what they say, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I’m glad to hear someone is finishing some things once in a while. Thanks for the comment!
Sara, you are so not alone. I constantly have to keep on myself about finishing a project before starting another. I can totally relate to the candle thing, now I follow a system, I label all my jars and lids while i mix the batches of candles so after the harden all that is left is to trim the wicks, put on the lids and ship them off. Loved the post, great topic!!!
Great idea for your candles! Unfortunately I make pillars, so I have to wait until the candle is completely finished and cured before I can wrap and label. Too bad I wait weeks instead of days for that. Oh well.
I, too, suffer from your ailment but I’ve been officially diagnosed – I’ve got HCADD – household chore attention deficit disorder. It was a self diagnosis, but it definitely describes the problem to a tee.
Look! Something shiny! Or maybe something really good on TV? I like your acronym ~ sounds so official!
Sounds like you’re getting a lot done! Good for you! Putting photos in albums is like my favorite task! I’ll do it for you! hah
I’ll definitely have to consider contracting the photo album job out to you, Lily! 🙂
I know the feeling of incompletion. I can’t even complete this commen . . . .
I think I’m starting to love you all. Could it be I’ve surrounded myself with high-powered overachievers in my life and feel small and ineffective around them? The internet is full of people just like me, unable to complete a task! Thanks to all of you I can be proud of my half-done projects because I’m in such good company!
Lisa, I checked out your latest blog post and loved it! I’ll be browsing the archives soon. Thanks for visiting my little space.