Do you have any unfinished projects lurking in your cupboard? Over the last few years, I have started writing four books and have yet to finish any of them. I started a painting 3 years ago, gave up halfway through, and it has sat in my cupboard ever since. I have a talent for starting things but I am not so good at finishing them…
Recently, I have been thinking about why this has become a pattern in my life. I discussed this with my friend Natasha and we agreed that some of us are natural “starters” and some of us are “finishers”. Which category do you fall into? I am definitely a starter! But what is it that makes me give up so easily? For me, I think it is a combination of self-criticism, judgement and worrying about what everyone else will think. I analyse everything, find faults in myself and give up when my emotions take over. However, these unfinished projects don’t go away. They linger in the dusty cupboards of our minds.
This summer, while the rain falls hard in Hong Kong, I have decided to work through these emotional blocks and finish one of my books. My Mum has told me that when she comes to visit me in October she wants to read the first draft of my novel. I love her for encouraging me to complete this project and for setting me a goal! Next time you see me, please ask me how the book is going and don’t let me give you any excuses!
I have also got the painting back out of the cupboard!
To be continued completed!
