Why It’s Important Not To Leave Things Unfinished
Leaving things unfinished is more than mere neglect or insignificant flippancy. From a psychological point of view, this is a symptom that should not be overlooked. Especially in cases where it is not something occasional, but systematic.
By leaving things unfinished, we accumulate angst . Any work or commitment that is not completed is a cycle that remains open. And as long as it stays open, it continues to revolve around our life, even if we are unaware of it. We feel the emotional weight of the disorder, although we do not actually perceive it. We also experience the silent angst that appears suddenly and frequently. In short, we don’t feel good.
The reasons we leave things unfinished can be many and varied. External circumstances sometimes influence, but in most cases they have more to do with ourselves. We do not conclude because there is something interfering, a reality that we are avoiding. Let’s dig deeper.
The reasons for leaving things unfinished
Our lives are filled with goals big and small, as well as big and small tasks. People who choose to leave things unfinished experience a disconnect between their goals and their tasks. The goal is to do something, but they fail to take concrete action for it.
There are many reasons for this. Some are nevertheless of great relevance. These are:
- Low self-esteem. When self-esteem is not enough, we think that what we are doing is of little value. It doesn’t matter whether we do it or not. There is the perception that doing or not doing something will make no difference.
- Feeling of failure. It manifests itself by not being able to define a “why”. As if all was already lost and no effort was worth it. It is one of the facets of depression.
- Feeling of worthlessness. Some people think it’s best to leave things unfinished because they will hurt it no matter what. There is a fear of the outcome here. Therefore, leaving everything unfinished avoids facing one’s own limitations, whether real or imagined.
- Distraction. It appears when there are other aspects that completely absorb the available attention, interest, or mental energy. Therefore, there is no availability to engage in another task. And if we commit to it, we half do it.
- Overload. When there is more trade-off than time to settle, it is usual to leave things unfinished.
The consequences of leaving things unfinished
As we can see, leaving things unfinished gives rise to multiple negative consequences. Basically it introduces a feeling of dread which can become more and more overwhelming. Also, it obviously ends up affecting self-esteem and self-worth.
The main consequences of leaving things unfinished are :
- Promote the appearance of constant stress.
- This generates a feeling of stagnation. It is as if we are staying in one place and not being able to move forward. We can never complete one task and continue with the next.
- It affects productivity. It will be very difficult to achieve important goals if things remain unfinished. This makes us inefficient, while we are constantly expending energy.
- It dispels attention. By failing to close the cycles of each task, our mind will be thinking about several things at the same time. To unfinished things, to the time we need for it, etc.
- This prevents starting new projects. We don’t feel this freedom to start something new.
How to solve the problem ?
Leaving things unfinished is a problem that needs to be resolved on two levels. The first has to do with breaking the habit. Indeed, leaving things unfinished begins as a more or less unconscious act and ends up becoming a habit.
What we need to do here is perform three basic actions. The first thing is to do realistic planning, setting goals that are truly achievable. The second thing is to break the tasks into steps and perform one. The third thing is to learn to introduce active breaks. In other words, limited rest periods to recover strength and move forward.
Moreover, the problem must be solved at a deeper level. It is possible that we are doing something we hate and feel trapped. Or that we have a sense of incompetence overwhelming us. It is also possible that behind all of this lies the seeds of depression. Either way, it is necessary to explore it in depth.
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