Fresh Starts Begin with Finishing Well

In business we are taught to start with the end in mind. It is a principle I take to heart and with the beginning of a new year, I was reminded of it as a memory popped up one day.

My family spent the better part of one summer preparing our yard for a new season of serenity, joy and fellowship with our family and friends.?It would be the culmination of a lifetime of savings bringing this dream of our own pool to life!

In preparation for this new reality, we had to take down several trees in our yard to make way for our outdoor recreational and revitalizing oasis.

It was a family affair with EVERYONE pitching in at their level of capabilities.?Director, laborer, encourager, actor, comedian and production crew alike all took their place on the stage to help complete this important, preparatory portion of the project.

As with any do-it-yourself, weekend warrior project, none of us walked away without a profound understanding that this kind of work is hard AND it is tedious AND if done improperly, can be a major risk.

Our son, who was just 14 at the time, was the muscle behind the chainsaw.?It was amazing to watch him blossom in this role as he learned the ins and outs of (as well as the physics behind) tree removal and he did it perfectly and without injury.?Our daughter, 12, learned the fact that everyone can help no matter their size. The motivation of a pool being the end result helped her stay focused (most of the time). Our friends even joined in with all the help needed to finish the last of the trees - including one of the biggest.

We removed at least 14 trees from our yard, including a 45+ year old hardwood that nearly did us all in from July heat and exhaustion, but the very last one was a very large pine tree.?There is a great big story to tell around the falling of this tree. However, for the purposes of this post, I will simply say, it might have tried to beat us, but this family stayed the course, kept going, and finished the project.

We call it finishing well - a concept my husband pronounced for years while coaching soccer.

You see, life is not easy.?Some days you really just want to quit.?Sometimes things fall COMPLETELY apart. People will call you crazy, insignificant and even stupid. The world will tell you it's impossible. Maybe even those close to you will say it's not worth it, but you must FINISH WELL.

Never give up.

Keep moving forward.

When you fall, get back up.

When you think you can't, listen to that still small voice that says you can.

And if you find friends who help you pick up the mess you may make along the way - HOLD ONTO THEM WITH BOTH HANDS!

Finish well.

No matter what it looks like at any given moment start fresh and finish well.

Giving your very best effort, finish well.

If we seek to finish well when we begin this new year, that new job, that new project - whatever it is - just remember to keep the end in mind because fresh starts allow you to finish well.