Embrace Completion Consciousness

Botanical Gardens, Co. Dublin, Ireland, photo by Niamh Savani

If you call yourself a seeker or are interested in spirituality even a tiny bit, no doubt you’ve heard or read the advice to live in the present, be aware now or something similar.

“When you don’t complete the past, you can’t be free to fully embrace the present.”  ~ Jack Canfield

Many people, me included often find it  difficult to be fully present.  We are constantly thinking about past events or projecting into the future. Another reason it is hard to be fully present is that we have so many incomplete projects, both in our personal and professional lives. We also have unspoken resentments or feel we did not get closure with certain people or events.  It is difficult to be present when you have a long to-do list that has not been completed or there are words left unsaid.  These unfinished tasks or unresolved emotions prevent us from being absorbed in the moment and moving forward in our lives. 

Professional, Personal, and Creative Incompletes

“Having completed a task means having become eternal.”  ~  Lao Tzu

Recently, I’ve decided to attempt to fully embrace completion consciousness in all areas of my life – professional, personal, and creative projects too.  Completion is a tricky area for all people, but especially artists.  We often get close to finishing a project, and then never actually add the final details to a painting or revise a rough draft.   These incomplete artworks eat away at us and are like babies in limbo.  They are never fully born, and yet they’re not quite dead.

It is hard to jump right in and tackle unfinished artwork.  I’ve found that it is easier to start with professional and personal tasks first.  What I’ve found is that as I take action and clear my desk in work and finally get the filing done, when I clean out all the trash from my car, or sort out stuff in the garage, this sense of completion has followed me into the studio.  I have lots of good quality unfinished paintings that I’ve recently revisited.  I’ve finished three paintings in the last week or so.  Now that I’m gaining momentum, I plan to finish all my “incomplete” works.  It’s also come to my attention (just as I’m writing this!) that inexplicably certain unresolved emotional issues have transpired in the past week that have brought certain issues to light once again.  Obviously it is time to bring closure to these items also. 

“If there’s anything new that you want in your life, you’ve got to make room for it.  I mean that psychologically as well as physically.”  ~  Jack Canfield

In order to move forward in your life, do what you really want to do, and (yes!) live fully and joyfully in the present moment it is necessary to first get rid of stuff that no longer serves you and finish what needs to be taken care of in all areas of your life.  You will see that as you begin to work on one area of your life you will be motivated to complete tasks in other areas.  I can vouch for this because it is happening right now in my own life!

15 Ways to Complete Professional Tasks

“If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?”  ~  Laurence J. Peter

1. Delegate tasks that someone else could easily take on and finish.
2. Clear the clutter on your desk.
3. Sort your paperwork into stacks e.g. trash, filing, urgent, re-visit etc.
4. Recycle or trash unnecessary paperwork.
5. Clean out your drawers and get rid of junk.
6. Test all your pens, and throw out ones that have no more ink.
7. Tidy up your computer files – make folders and sort (just like with the physical paperwork).
8. Write no more than 3-5 tasks on your daily to-do list.
9. Prioritize items on your to-do list, and put the most important item first!
10. Accomplish that task first, and this will free your energy for the rest of the day.
11. Back up computer files.
12. Clear out your e-mail inbox, and delete unwanted items in all your folders.
13. Acknowledge colleagues that deserve recognition and let others know when you have done a good job.
14. Deal with collegial relationships with unstated resentments or appreciations.
15. Fill out maintenance requests for incomplete tasks.

15 Ways to Complete Personal Tasks

“What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence.  The only consequence is what we do.”  ~ John Ruskin

1. Sort through your closets and get rid of clothes you haven’t work in at least two years.
2. Sort through your “junk” drawers and throw out the junk!
3. Keep your car maintenance up to date.
4. Pay your bills on time – sign up for electronic debit and it will be taken care of automatically.
5. Close accounts that you no longer use.
6. Clear out the junk in your car and then keep a trash bag in your car, and put trash in that (instead of on the floor).
7. Spring clean your home, especially organize your home office or studio.
8. Tackle filing left undone.
9. Mend or sew clothes that need to be repaired.
10. Finish household projects or maintenance that need to be completed.
11. Delegate appropriate household tasks to a spouse, partner, children, or others who live in the house.
12. Organize your tax records.
13. Mend personal relationships with unstated feelings and gain closure.
14. Forgive those people you need to forgive.
15. Organize your online photos and scrapbooks.

15 Ways to Complete Creative Projects

“Finishing a painting demands a heart of steel: everything requires a decision, and I find difficulties where I least expected them.”  ~ Eugene Delacroix

1. Start finishing some professional and personal incompletes.  This will give you momentum to finish artwork and creative incompletes.
2. Set an intention to complete unfinished artwork or creative projects, preferably first thing in the morning.  Do this even if you have a “day job” because this plants a seed in your consciousness.
3. Set a schedule to create and honor this time as sacred.
4. Use affirmations to help you complete your artwork e.g. “I am producing beautiful, completed paintings” or “I am editing the final draft of my book”. 
5. Select artwork or projects that are close to being finished and just need a few final touches.
6. Make creative decisions and follow through with action.
7. Be courageous in your decisions.
8. Be courageous in your actions.
9. Be compassionate with yourself and don’t indulge in negative self talk if things don’t go exactly as planned e.g. the color you choose looks awful beside the other colors.  So what!  Just choose another color and repaint! 
10. Listen to your work and trust your instincts.
11. Ask yourself this question: “Am I completing my work in a timely manner?”
12. When you decide the work is done, it’s done!
13. Move onto the next unfinished project or artwork and repeat steps 1 though 12!
14. When you are finished with all your creative “incompletes” fearlessly start a brand new project!
15. Repeat steps 1 through 14 (because no doubt by now you will have some NEW unfinished work)!

Embrace completion consciousness in all areas of your day to day life.  Start with the professional and personal incompletes, and then use the energy this frees up to tackle your creative incompletes.  As you do this you will notice that you feel more vibrant, alive, and more determined to undertake those items still on your to do list.  Success guru Jack Canfield states “The truth is that 20 things completed have more power than 50 things half completed”.  Once you start seeing positive results, you will want to take the next steps or actions to finish all your incompletes!  This will really help you focus your attention on being present and start living in the now!

What professional items do you need to complete?

What household chores or personal relationships need to be completed or brought to closure?

Do you have creative projects need to be finished?
 

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