November 24, 2018

I NEVER FINISH ANYTHING!!!

Hi Brandon,

I lose motivation super quickly. I love starting new projects and working on them, but I can never seem to finish them. I don’t know what to do. Help!

The Procrastinator

Hey Procrastinator,

I totally know what you mean! In the beginning, a project can be super exciting. Maybe you’re learning a new skill or you’ve got something super cool that you’d like to make. But then you get distracted or the process isn’t as fun or easy as you thought. So, you might lose interest.

Sounds to me like you haven’t really found a PASSION yet. And that’s totally okay! If you’re starting projects that you don’t finish, you’re probably not really into them. If I’m REALLY into something, even the boring parts are fun for me. But when I’m only SORT OF into it, it gets so boring that I want to give up.

I think sometimes it’s okay to let a project go. You might find that you’re just not that interested in whatever it is. Or maybe you’ve had all the fun you can with it, and now it’s time to move on. As long as we’re referring to hobbies, they should be fun and entertaining. So, if you’re forcing yourself to do something (besides school stuff, which we HAVE to do no matter how boring it is), what’s the point?

Other times, I think you have to keep your eye on the prize, if the prize is worth it to you. Yeah, maybe all the work you put in training for basketball try-outs is exhausting (and literally a pain!), but think how sweet it’ll be to make the team! Or learning a musical instrument can be really slow-going and BOY are you going to get sick of playing Hot Cross Buns, but when you put in the work and can eventually play in a band with your friends or write your own songs – AMAZING!

Just be honest with yourself. Don’t stick with something that’s supposed to be fun just because you feel like you SHOULD. On the other hand, remember that sometimes a project gets fun after you’ve put in some work, so if it’s worth it to you, keep your eye on the prize and find the fun in the work!

That’s my best advice. Maybe our readers will have more.

What makes you want to give up on a project? What keeps you going? What are your best tips for sticking it out? Tell us in the comments!