Today is one of those days where my brain feels completely empty as I sit and stare at an empty screen. The allure of an empty page is not strong enough to overcome the exhaustion my mind feels. But the law that governs completion states that “at a minimum, you must make an effort”. Yes, I just made that up. There is no endeavor without its highs and lows, and the challenge to post daily on my blog for this period, combined with my other daily tasks, is no exception. But as I approach the finish line, I remind myself that finishing is worth it.
I sometimes look back over several incomplete tasks or projects I have initiated. While some were abandoned for practical reasons, others reflect an uninformed zeal to start something new. Starting new things can be exciting. But when the fun wears off, do you really have what it takes to carry on and finish up? Is it really worth the resources you have committed? These questions easily lend themselves to our evaluation when the rubber hits the road or obstacles show up. But weren’t they there from the word go?
We all hope to finish projects we started, and if we abandon any, we hope they will be those with minor or no consequences on the course of history or our lives. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference though: life can be random, and history often gets written in hazardous ways. So, our best bet is only to start what we can commit to finishing, and to finish what we have started. The key to finishing is none other than the age-old magic of showing up and embracing the grind, regardless of how one feels.
As you come close to finishing, as your body grows weary and your mind slows down from its initial racing when you started, everything that ever stood against your commitment resurfaces. The doubts, the questions, and the difficulties combine with fatigue and/or boredom to slow you down and put you out. But from the beneath that pressure, you must draw strength again to finish what you started, to complete the last lap and celebrate the unmatched feeling of being a finisher. Even if no one knows it, you have made history!
Chronicles of a Journeyman 