The Last Inch

The finish line is in sight. Just one last push and the project/ article/ presentation will be complete! So why is your enthusiasm flagging and your feet dragging? And why does that last inch suddenly seem like one very long mile?

It happened to me just the other day. I was wrapping up preparations for several talks I’d be giving in November, when, out of the blue, my energy began to fizzle. I found myself second-guessing my system, delaying another run-through and spending too much time on email. Everything, but getting the job done.

The hard work and dedication that I’d invested to get so close to wrapping up the job was ebbing. I was puzzled, what was going on? And then I remembered that old saying, “Don’t quit before the miracle.” Could it be? Was I behaving like a pre- miracle quitter?

I’d done everything I needed to do to get this far with my task, so why quit now? I realized that part of the problem was what I’d already accomplished. I’d done the lion’s share of the preparation, the pressure was off, and part of me was ready to relax. Two beats too soon!

I thought about what it meant to finish the job. Like the trump card you keep close to your chest, once it’s played its true value is revealed. As long as I could delay showing my cards, the project could remain a fantasy of unsurpassed triumph. And, what’s more, I’d have no excuse to put off the next demanding project. Perhaps dragging this one out isn’t such a bad idea.

And, of course, there were the gremlins. As Gregg Levoy so wisely stated, “ … your endeavors will always be attended by the conflict between the voices of faith and doubt.”

The gremlin voices were beginning to talk —“Don’t bother with that! You’ve done enough”—and I didn’t like what I was hearing. Their negative messages as I neared the finish line had me stopped in my tracks.

Apparently, we’re not alone in this stalled-project mode. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the guru of business success, acknowledged it this way:
“My personal law of management, if not life, is that everything looks like a disaster in the middle.”

So, if you recognize this last-inch freeze, here are a few suggestions for maintaining enthusiasm and momentum to the very end:

• Connect! Pick up the phone and tell a friend or colleague what you’re up against. Often a call will give you the perspective and support that lifts you out of the mire.
• Take a timed break and come back to your task with a fresh perspective.
• Reward yourself after you do the next right thing. Follow your final edit, rehearsal or packing up with a well-deserved phone conversation with a friend, a walk or a nap. Moving forward happens when you do what’s needed now. Inch by inch, you’ll reach your goal.
• Chase away those gremlins and their negative messages. Remind yourself of past successes and trust in your ability to repeat them by staying the course.

Of course, I followed my own advice. I teach this. I have to! And the talks went swimmingly. One more miracle experienced—deeply connecting with audiences of remarkable men and women. I can’t wait to get started on my next project…