Beware of Unfinished Business!

Does a box of jumbled puzzle pieces represent your unfinished business? There are more items than you can count and it looks like a disorganized mess. Worse, you're not sure how everything fits together. Yes, the image of the puzzle pieces may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Unfinished business has the potential to become a jumbled mess that keeps you from putting together the intended picture...or achieving the intended outcomes.

Invariably, my unfinished items are things I might want to do for my business. Try a new technique (to attract new clients), look at an innovative technology (to simplify my processes), or dive into my mindset (to improve confidence and concentration). The ideas may also include personal items like vacation plans, friends and family, places to visit, or phone calls to make (...all intended to build and prioritize relationships). What items are part of your unfinished business?

The world is brimming with ways to improve, get better, grow stronger, and find unlimited success and prosperity. It is all so enticing. But it is also distracting. Every new idea can become unfinished business that diverts you from your path and sends you off in a different direction. Beware.  

We live in a world where information is available with the touch of button. Social media, podcasts, AI, and more have put information at our fingertips and into our heads. And yes…much of the information is useful and valuable. I love it and I hate it. It makes me feel invincible (if I can only master the subject or technology) and it makes me feel inadequate (because I don’t have the knowledge and skill). So, when I find myself feeling overwhelmed with too much information filtering in and not enough time to take it all in, I STOP.

I STOP. And I grab onto my purpose, my vision, or my most important priorities in business, life, and leadership to recenter my focus. Well, that sounds ideal. But here’s the thing…I’ve learned to recognize that if I haven’t taken the time to fully develop my focus, I won’t have a strong enough foundation to “grab onto” my priorities.

I’ve always been one to just keep forging ahead. Learn the skill. Implement the action. Take one step at a time. Inch forward. And you know what? It works.

But when I’m feeling that sense of overwhelm, and the ideas start streaming in, and everything is catching my attention; the warning light goes on. I must admit that I’m NOT focused and I need to stop.

That moment makes me circle back to my mission and vision for business, life, or leadership; and I reassess where I am. Why? Because I cannot possibly take it all in.

The information, the ideas, the innovation. Do this. Change that. Improve. Grow. The sheer magnitude of it all is unsettling.

That’s why the strength of your purpose is vital for the strength of your outcomes. The clarity that comes from a well-articulated focus will keep you on track. You won’t be sidetracked with gadgets and methods and skills and ideas that hold the promise of wealth, health, and prosperity. In fact, you likely have much of what you need already, accessible to you right now.

Yes, you have SOME things you need to learn. Yes, you have SOME things you need to do differently. Just don’t be drawn into EVERY thing that comes across the horizon. That’s what creates that sense of “unfinished business.”

So, reevaluate your purpose or your vision for success in business, life, and leadership. Is it clearly articulated? Do you have a purpose? Is it captured in a document or written down? How strong is it? Does it keep you on a path toward your desired outcome or do you find yourself meandering off the trail?

Without purpose, you’ll spend a LOT of time chasing the rabbit. You might be better served by crafting and targeting your intent.

A strong purpose with a clear target will turn “unfinished business” into “finished business.” And that’s exactly where you want to be.

Is it time to get back to the most fundamental step in your pursuit of growth and success? Get clear on your BIG picture vision, build awareness of what you really need to do next, and the pieces will begin fitting together, just like putting together a puzzle.

Discover your uncluttered path to that sense of completion. If you're seeking guidance or encouragement, be sure to connect with me.

Here's to Clarity, Focus, and Momentum!