“Start Strong, Strong Finish, and Be Consistent in The Middle.”
If I heard this once, I heard it a thousand times.
My Mentor had mantras, like this one.
Mantras help our self talk. A mantra is a repetitive saying that channels your subconscious and conscious mind into a focused area. Mantras have theability to drown out the self talk of ‘I can’t do it.’ It is energy creation that you need to go deeper into the well to find what you need to finish.
I once heard Gary Smith, Executive Vice President of Fortis, say this same mantra: “Start strong, finish strong, and be consistent in the middle.” It was his response to a question on “How do you approach projects?”
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Let’s take a deeper look at the ideal project cycle.
Have you ever been excited about starting a project, you start strong with a bang, but as time goes on there are a few hiccups. Your energy starts to wane. You spend less time at the project and eventually, you move on to something else. Does this sound like you? Let’s plot a typically project approach:
Here is what I have to say about that: WHAT A WASTE!
You spent all that time on a project and you can’t add it your resume, you can’t tell your boss what a great job you did, you can’t use it in an interview and highlight your transferable skills. You are right back where you started, and you are spinning your wheels.
Here is a secret: Start finishing projects! Finish everything you start.
Do it by using this mantra: “Start strong, finish strong, and be consistent in the middle.”
Repeat it over and over and over again. Put music it to it if you have to!
Why? Let me tell you the benefits
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Everyone remembers a strong finish.
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You create strong references to speak on your behalf for your next job or promotion.
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You can use the transferable skills that you developed in an interview.
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You can take this project, along with other projects, to your boss and ask for a raise.
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You can add it to your resume.
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You develop a network of people who want to work with you because you finish projects.
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YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
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You feel proud and confident you can complete any project.
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People trust you with additional responsibility because you have provenyou can do it.
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Finishing successful projects is a clear path to a successful career.
Start using the graph below for successful project finishes:
Elite athlete physiologists understand the importance of a strong finish. They call the sudden burst of energy at the finish End Spurt. It is a bout of exertion that overpowers fatigue and helps us push through the pain. Ask anyone who runs competitively about the final kick.
We can use this knowledge by planning the end bam at the beginning.
The beginning is when you have the most energy and you need something to look forward to at the end. It is your grand finish. It will help you overcome and power through the hiccups and the setbacks that every project encounters.
What will be your grand finish of your next project? Write me and tell me.
Trust me when I say this: If I have heard, “Start Strong, Finish Strong, and Be Consistent in the Middle” once, I have heard it a thousand times! This is because I have said it over and over in my head a THOUSAND times.
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Carol
