Compost and Finishing

This weekend I decided to build a compost container and it taught me something about Finishing.

Problem:
I have a number of large trees in my yard and I am tired of bagging up the leaves and sending them off to the landfill.

Solution:
Build a compost container to turn the leaves into supercharged compost for the extensive garden that is now in the works.

Lesson - In order to finish well you have to learn to walk the fine line between thinking and doing.

I write this "Finisher's Blog" because I am often chastised for my lack of finishing. So, I was determined to be a doer this weekend and to actually finish the compost handler. No such luck.

Weekend laziness + fun kid-time + cold temperatures kept me inside too long. So, I finally went outside to get started...as always determined to finish strong.

I started building without thinking enough about what and how, etc.

Normally, I spend too much time thinking and planning and thinking some more before I actually DO anything. This time, I launched into action without the thinking...and it slowed me down later.

Lesson Learned...think first...then act...but don't think too much.

Finisher's Quality: Knowing When to Focus

Last night I was playing in my weekly tennis league. It is a double's league where you play 35 minutes with each player on the court. The player with the most games won moves up the ladder, the player with the least number of games won moves down.

I played so well for the first two rounds, and I didn't play well in the third. Now, this isn't that interesting to anyone, except that it is a great illustration of this week's idea.

Finisher's Quality: Know When to Focus. Know when to drift.

The last round I was playing with the best player on the court and I relaxed. The previous two rounds, I knew I would have to be at my best to keep from losing badly to the stronger player. Then, when I got my turn with the better player...I didn't mean to, but I stopped focusing on my own game.

You have seen this a hundred times in every sport on the planet. An individual has the focus to get ahead, but doesn't have the ability to close it out.

This does not just apply to sales people. I bet you can come up with a situation when you were focused...focused...focused...on a big goal. Then, once the goal is within sight, within reach...you relax.

"Well, I can get there even if I only..."

That is the tank. Instead of finishing...you are going into the tank.

I am convinced that I was playing the best tennis on the court last night...but I am the one going down the ladder. I didn't finish the night. I drifted when I should have focused. For two sets I played the ball and I simply concentrated on playing the point, not the person across from me. Then, I let the thoughts of who I was playing with and against get me off course.

Once you wander off that course, it takes some time to get the focus back. Next week I will explore how great finishers get their focus back.

If anyone has any ideas, examples, tricks about this...please let me know.

It is time to Finish something

I was putting together my week's list this morning, and realized that there was an unfinished item on there from September 7...

That is not good finishing, but it was a result of focus on other priorities.

The problem? This was an item that was directly related to the future of my own business. This item, to finish a website for Brain Bucket, was not a paying customer, and therefore had been put off for more than two and a half months.

How unfinisher of me!

Therefore, this morning, I am going to go finish that task.

If there is anyone reading my blog each week, I encourage you to go check out two friends blogs who each have excellent recent posts:

Jerry Smith is Accord Coaching - www.balancelifework.com

and

Shawn Kinkade is Aspire Business Development and his blog should be read by anyone interested in learning how to run their own business.

http://www.aspirekc.com/Blog/2007/12/01/have-you-referred-anyone-today/

Have a great week.

Focus is Easy...Finish is Hard.

My wife accuses me of terrible bouts of indecision because I am a planner, and she is a big time do-er.

Everybody knows that you have to focus in order to do something well.

I tell myself and my daughter and my customers to focus 100 times a day.

Deciding to focus is easy. Linking Focus with Finish is another thing altogether.

Everybody realizes that sometimes in order to reach a goal, you have to focus your energy. I can focus on a project for hours...For me, though, that doesn't usually result in "Finish."

I am a notorious starter...and even my grandfather could tell that I was a slow finisher. I am working on my "finishing" because I think that successful people finish.

Finisher's Quality: Finishing is one part focus and 3 parts action.

I feel that I have accomplished something or had a really good day when I have focused on my goals, and completed the two or three essential action items necessary to see the project through ALL the way to completion.

I always have to apologize when I stop before I am done.

Go Finish.

Openings and Closings...

Start to Finish.

Brainstorm to Finished Project.

Goal setting to Execution.

I am the king of the left hand side of that list.

This week (same as last week), I am faced with several do-able projects. The problem has been actually doing that work to finish these things. I keep juggling. I keep spinning the plates, and as a result, none of them are finished.

If you are reading this and I owe you a website...thank you for your patience...it is coming this week.

Here's how I am going to do it!

I am ONLY focusing on one thing at a time. (Truly a finisher's quality)

I have readd part of a book about procrastination...I'll read the rest of it another time.

There are piles of things around my house to get done. And while I am not going to post my "honey do" list on the blog...the point is the same. Pick the hardest or most important thing and focus on it until it is done.

That is my challenge to myself this week. I WILL exhibit this finisher's quality.

In the meantime, take some time to check out these superior blogs.


Recent Post from Seth:
URL: Small business success


Recent Posts from Stephanie Diamond:
URL: Collaboration with Customers


URL: The Power of Focus