Finish

What is it about finishing? I find myself asking that question a lot lately as my son finishes his junior year of high school.

While it is not always easy to get started, it seems that many people have even more trouble finishing. Many of us are in a hurry to leave whatever we’re doing to move on to whatever’s next. Remember high school? We couldn’t wait until senior year and graduation so we could get out into the “real world” and start living; it’s even worse these days, when one’s class rank is all but settled at the end of junior year, making senior year a little superfluous. And we wonder why people can’t stay in the moment.

How about college athletes? The new trend in college basketball is “one and done.” The temptation to take your wares and to see if you can leverage them into a quick fortune is understandable, but how often does that really work out? And what’s at the end of the playing career, without a college education?

In a time in history when people are actually living longer – when we could actually then be slowing down a bit and enjoying each phase – we seem to be in more of a hurry to get to the next thing faster, fooling ourselves in the process that things will be better when … fill in your blank. And ask yourself, would I be happier – and ultimately more successful – if I finished what I started?

The answer might surprise you.