According to my daughter’s friend, this is how a typical Saturday afternoon went for her:

I was gonna cook. Then I thought, I can do laundry while I cook. So, I go to get the clothes. But when I go in to get them, I see my room. I start cleaning. When I leave my room to put the towels in the hamper in the bathroom, I see that the bathroom is a complete mess. So, I put the towels in the hamper and start cleaning the bathroom. While I’m cleaning the bathroom, I find a glass. I stop cleaning to go put the glass away in the kitchen. When I see the kitchen, I remember that I’m supposed to be cooking. So, I take the chicken out of the fridge. Then…

She went around in more circles after that, complaining about how she never finishes anything. It was like her own version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Well, as I shared with her, here are 5 reasons she has trouble finishing things. See if any of them are true for you.

1

You don’t take time to prioritize.

If you just take a minute or two to think through what is most important right now and in the near future (say 4-24 hours from now), it will be easier to use your time wisely and stay on task.

2

You’re not honest with yourself about what it’s gonna take.

After knowing what’s most important, it is crucial to know what it’s gonna take to pull it off. How long are the tasks? Do any of them have to be started before another step/task can begin?

3

You don’t fully commit to the current priority.

If you’re not sticking to what’s most important, you’ll be more easily drawn into doing something else. This is especially true when you don’t really want to do the thing that’s priority. [Be on the lookout for that and call yourself out on it.]

4

You don’t say “no.”

You don’t say “no” to yourself, to your roommate, to your boyfriend/girlfriend, to your phone, etc. Sometimes the right decision, especially when trying to get things done, is to say “no” to a task or opportunity so you can get the priority taken care of.

5

Honestly, you’re messy.

This doesn’t just apply to the clothes all over your room. If you leave things out of place and undone everywhere, you’ll see that it’s a mess in your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, friendships, relationship, finances, etc. Have you built the habit of leaving things unfinished? You have to break that habit.

If none of these are true for you, but you’ve got another that keeps getting you, put it in the comments. Also, if you have a favorite strategy for overcoming, please let us know.

Always the truth in love, Auntie