The Power of Finishing What You Start
If you start something, finish it. It may sound simple, but if you don’t think you can finish something, don’t start it. To build a habit of success, start with commitments you know you can complete. Whether it’s a promise to call a friend, a report you said you’d write, or cleaning out the pantry—follow through. Failing to complete tasks, no matter how small, fosters a habit of failure. It’s easy to think that skipping out on a promise here and there doesn’t matter, but it does. Over time, it compounds.
The Consequences of Forgetting
Forgetting to do something you said you’d do is still not acceptable. If you think you might forget, write it down. More importantly, we tend to remember the things that truly matter to us. Just because something seems unimportant now doesn’t mean it won’t matter later, to you or to someone else. In a world where we try to control our surroundings—family, friends, work, pets—it’s ironic that we often fail to control ourselves.
The Habit of Failure
We all want fulfilled, successful lives, but many of us fail to practice success by not completing the things we set out to do. Instead, we practice failure. Excuses like “I forgot,” “I got busy,” or “I’ll do it later” become the norm. These small failures may seem insignificant at the time—whether it’s skipping a journal entry because you’re too tired, putting off a call to your dad, or skipping a walk because it’s too hot. But over time, these small moments of inaction become easier, and you always have a reason not to follow through.
Breaking the Cycle of Failure
If you ask someone who feels they haven’t achieved what they want in life, chances are they have good reasons for their missed opportunities. But those reasons are still rooted in failure. If you want to be different, if you want to reprogram your subconscious mind to believe you are successful, you need to train yourself to succeed daily.
Start Small to Build Success
Begin with daily goals you know you can achieve. Don’t aim for unrealistic targets like walking five miles when you know you won’t. Instead, set yourself up for success by starting with something simple like, “I’m going to do something positive for my health today,” and give yourself a list of doable options.
Setting Achievable Goals
When facing bigger challenges, don’t set yourself up for failure by aiming too high. If you’re trying to cut out something highly addictive, start with small, manageable steps. For example, have one less cocktail instead of none, or skip breakfast instead of giving up all sugar.
Reinforcing Success
Each time you finish what you set out to do, you reinforce the idea that you are someone who follows through. Over time, your subconscious mind will believe that whatever you say you will do, you will achieve. And eventually, life will reflect this success back to you, as completing goals becomes second nature.