Home
>
Get Organized - Organization
>
Too Many Unfinished Projects? 7 Time Management Strategies to Move Stalled Projects to Finish Line

Too Many Unfinished Projects? 7 Time Management Strategies to Move Stalled Projects to Finish Line

Q. I have several projects going at once -- but I never seem to finish them! I'm pulled in so many different directions -- and I end up with nothing to show for my efforts!

A. While you're in a creative mode, you're most likely to be swamped with ideas! Feeling swamped can be a source of stress. Here's how to deal with the "too many to finish" challenge.

(1) Stop berating yourself for not finishing a project. Instead, say, "I don't feel ready to move in that direction. I'll write down the idea and file it away for the future."

(2) Tell a story about what would happen if you finished each project. "Susan finished all her art projects and..." You may be surprised what comes up. One client resisted finishing a book because she dreaded getting a slew of rejections from agents. Another resisted applying for jobs because she dreaded spending eight hours chained to a desk.

(3) Review your finances. If you're desperate to finish these projects to make money, fear may be blocking your intuition. You'll have trouble thinking clearly and setting priorities.

On the other hand, if you don't need the work, you may not be motivated. Some people need a certain amount of pressure to get moving.

(4) List up to three goals that you'd like to accomplish in the next six months, even if you do nothing else. Some people need to focus on a single goal or they get hopelessly distracted. However, others (including most gifted adults) are multi-taskers, who aren't happy unless they're juggling several balls in the air.

(5) Study the market for each project you are considering. Once you've identified your target customers and the need you'll be meeting -- and made sure people will pay for what you offer -- you'll realize whether moving forward makes sense.

(6) File each new idea in a computer or paper folder or set up an "idea board" near your desk. As you think of ways to flesh out an idea, add notes to each folder. Give each idea time to mature. Some will fade away on their own; others will ripen into exciting opportunities.

(7) Create a strong support system, even if you have to hire a consultant or coach. As Julia Cameron wrote in The Artist's Way, the notion of solitary creativity is nothing but a stereotype. Writers, artists, business owners and professionals need opportunities to talk about their progress. They need to feel someone cares about what they're doing and believes in them.

In my experience, access to a support network tends to be the single greatest source of success in any field.

I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" http://www.cathygoodwin.com

Contact: http://www.cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

cleaning help near Mundelein ..

In The News:

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

Too Many Unfinished Projects? 7 Time Management Strategies to Move Stalled Projects to Finish Line

Get Organized - Organization