Benefits of Being Done

When was the last time you celebrated being done?

There aren’t many finish lines in adult life.  Parenting, household chores, work projects – most of the things we do are on-going, without a clear end. Plus, most of us juggle multiple responsibilities, leaving little time to celebrate finishing one thing before having to move on to the next.

Where is the Woo Hoo?

Where is the moment to stand back and say, “Look what I did!”?

Finding something, big or small, you can actually complete is a great way to add some joy to your life, and reduce your stress.  Rather than feeling stressed and frustrated by the treadmill of daily life, you have the chance to focus – and finish.

My husband, Clay, and I spend the spring in the boatyard getting our 23-year-old sailboat ready for the season.  Now, to many sanding, scrubbing, greasing, and polishing would seem like a lousy way to spend a season, but for us it is joy – because at the end we are rewarded with a boat to sail for the summer!

Last weekend I sanded the bottom of the boat – the dirtiest job.  I wear a full Tyvek suit, gloves, ventilator, and goggles to keep the toxic dust off of me (which works only so well) and I get covered!  It is a bit of an ordeal – but in the end, I am finished, ready to paint, and done for another year!  Woo Hoo!

Hobbies are a great way to get that feeling of the finish.  What do you do?  What did you used to do?  Whether it’s a sewing project, knitting, carpentry, a 5K race, repairing the lawn mower, or sanding the bottom of a boat – make time for activities you can complete… and then celebrate being finished!

Woo Hoo!

Please share your ideas and insights in a comment below.  Thanks!

Eliz Greene works busy people to improve heart health, so they can work well, feel better, and stress less.

She is a heart attack survivor and the author of the Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart as well as 3 other books on wellness. She writes one of the top 50 health and wellness blogs and is a sought-after heart health, stress management, & wellness speaker.

If you are planning a women’s wellness program, workplace wellness program or programs for healthcare professionals check out EmbraceYourHeart.com to see if Eliz would be a good fit with your organization.