The Finishing Muscle
I’m lazy when it comes to finishing anything creative. It can be a piece of writing. A creative project. A zine. Learning a new art medium. My notebooks are scattered with unfinished work. Most people have the opposite problem — they need inspiration to begin. Permission to create. I used to feel this way, but I’ve practiced the ability to start. I work with college students, and I’m often telling them to start small, and celebrate small wins. One of my former email signatures had this quote by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
But what happens when all I do is take single steps in a variety of directions? I never end up on the journey because I keep stopping and starting over on a new course. Over the last decade of my creative work, I’ve had several “single steps” in hopes of pursuing a new career that eventually wound up nowhere. Pitched freelance article ideas — some published and some not. Started a jewelry stying business that ended in 6 months. Auditioned and got a part in a small film, but moved out of LA. Started and ended blogs that spanned the gamut from food, travel, fashion, and relationships (this blog, by the way, is number five). My Starting muscle is sexy and well-defined. But you can’t have a lopsided workout routine — reps on one arm and not the other. Not surprisingly, my Finishing muscle is weak and scrawny.
Years ago, I signed up for a 5K race with my friends. Other than P.E. classes, I never worked out. I certainly was not a runner. The first time I attempted a mile on the treadmill, it was 15 minutes of slow, agonizing, and clunky plodding that felt like an hour. I ended up with shin splints, which felt like tiny tears and fractures of pain that shot up my leg for a week. I put my body in a state of shock because it was doing something it never thought it had to do again after high school gym.
Eventually, I got better. My body healed. I bought real running shoes. I learned how to stretch and warm-up. I became faster and more consistent. After our 5K race, we were elated and signed up for our first half-marathon later that year. It was my idea to do it. We showed up and trained faithfully. And I ran and finished a half-marathon.
I think about this story when I need to remind myself that I can actually finish something. Small, big, but most importantly, meaningful. I’ve decided to start writing and sharing again. #The100DayProject is coming up on April 2nd, and I plan on participating. Instead of only creating something every day for 100 days, I want to practice FINISHING every day for 100 Days. And because it’s what I do best, I’m starting here.
