By Remez Sasson

Do you finish what you start? Do you possess enough inner strength to go through with what you start doing?

How many times have you started to do something with enthusiasm and energy, and then lost your enthusiasm and energy after a while?

How many times have you made promises to yourselves and to others, with the intention of following them through, only to forget about them after some time?

Sometimes, we don’t finish what we start, because we realize that:

• We don’t really want what we started doing.
• It requires too much time or money, than what we are willing to invest.
• We realize that there are more important things we want.
• We have a gut feeling that this is not the right thing to do.
• Quite often, we make promises and start doing things without prior thinking and analysis. We start doing things due to temporary enthusiasm, in response to something we saw or heard, but when the enthusiasm wanes, so does the desire to follow through.

In all these cases, and other similar ones, our decision to quit what we are doing might be justified sometimes, and unjustified at other times. The problem starts when quit, due to lack of self-discipline and perseverance. If we lack self-discipline and perseverance, how can we achieve anything, even small minor, everyday tasks?

How do you feel when time after time you quit because you lack self-discipline and perseverance? Do you feel frustrated? Do you lose faith in yourself to do things?

The good news is that you can develop these two important inner assets:

1. Think before you take action. Many of the projects we quit, we start without thinking and analyzing their usefulness.
2. Make your priorities before you start. What is more important now?
3. Whenever you feel that you are losing enthusiasm and interest, think about and visualize the benefits, and how what you are doing will benefit and improve your life, and other people’s lives.

I won’t tell you, “Stick with what you are doing, no matter what”, because if you need to be told this sentence, it means you lack self discipline and perseverance, and these words won’t help you. You will need to develop these skills, but how can you do so, if you cannot finish what you start? This is a vicious circle situation. You need some measure of self-discipline, and also a strong incentive to start. How can you develop self-discipline and perseverance, if you lack the ability to persevere?

The solution is to start with simple exercises designed to develop self-discipline and perseverance, and with tasks that you can accomplish quickly. By acting in this way you build self-confidence and faith in yourself, and you will gradually be able to do things that require more effort. In time, you will be able to use the skills you develop, to follow and persevere with any plan, project, goal or resolution.

I will not mention these exercises in this article, since I have written about them in other articles. You can find these articles at the main website, under the Willpower and Self Discipline articles, and also under the inner strength category, here at this blog.

For more detailed information, exercises and instructions, I would recommend that you read the book Willpower and Self Discipline, which you can find at this website.

With just some training, you will start to see results. You will begin to finish what you start doing.