I've been thinking a lot lately about completion...

Checking things off, closing loops, minimizing open tabs.

Because as I sit here writing this in my office, I can see 5 unfinished projects in this room alone!

There's a hole in my ottoman that I need to sew closed, the frame that needs a picture, the empty pot that wants a new plant, the papers I need to file, and the birthday cards I want to mail to clients.

I don't even want to think about the number of open projects sitting on my to-do list, inside my computer, and around my house.

And I'm starting to notice the effect it's all having on me.

Like a browser that has too many tabs open, I'm starting to slow down while I hold everything that's unfinished.

I'm losing momentum the longer I go without crossing the finish line.

So how do we move stalled projects from in-process to completed?

How can we focus and see something through to "done" before starting something new?

And when you're a parent who's managing not just your own work and life but the lives of your family and your home, how much choice do you have in whether or not you start new things before finishing what you've already started?

I'm currently reading an older project management book all about "personal kanban" and the authors make a compelling case for limiting the number of items that you have "in process".

We only have so much capacity to think about and hold the things that are being worked on. And we gain momentum by moving those items to the completed column.

So it makes sense:

For maximum focus, energy, and productivity, limit the number of projects that are open.

Wait to start something new until you've completed something else. Completion is what creates space in the "Work in Process" (WIP) column and the capacity to start something new.

The challenge as a working parent is in making the time and creating the motivation to finish something you've already started, when there are a million new things that need your attention.

I don't have the perfect answer, but it's something that I'm trying to solve RIGHT NOW in my own life as I know I have way too many WIPs open.

I know that I could feel so much better, so much more focused and motivated, if I could close some of those open loops and mark things as complete.

So, if you also find yourself juggling lots of things simultaneously. If you've started lots of different projects and tasks and then gotten distracted or life has thrown you a curveball and those things are sitting unfinished, here's what I'm experimenting with that might help you too:

List out all your WIPs - get all of the open loops and unfinished projects onto paper or a google doc where you can see them.
Then ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this project still important to me? (if not, move it to a parking lot list for the future or delete it entirely)
- How will I know when this is completed? (what does finished look like?)
- What can I do to create movement on this project? (big or small, just something to stop it from being static)

Then start with something simple and aim for less than perfect. What would B minus work look like?

The goal is to start creating movement again, not perfection.

So how can you start moving? How can you get these projects out of their static state?

For me, I'm going to start by filing the papers on my desk, unpacking the new lamp I purchased, and going to the plant store later this week to buy plants for my two empty pots.

None of these things has to be perfect. I'm just choosing the lowest hanging fruit so I can experience movement again.

And before I start anything else new in terms of house projects, I'm going to finish some of the ones that I've already started.

I'm going to close these open loops and see if it changes how I feel.

We've got this!

What To Do When You Have Too Many 'Open Loops'

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