How to Finish Projects You Start
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1 hours
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- Beginner
Looking around your house and property, the mental list likely grows by the minute. It’s all part of the joy of homeownership. It can be quite overwhelming to figure out which projects to DIY and which to hire out.
Even if the regular maintenance list is manageable, you may be working on several hobbies, crafts, or minor improvements that are sitting in various stages of completion. Taking the time to finish up projects you’re working on creates mental and physical space for creativity and productivity.
Plus, it feels good to finally check the box, so we’ve put together some pointers to keep you on track.
Step 1 - Study Up
One of the most common reasons for failing to complete projects is simply getting in over your head. The plans may seem simple. You may think you have the right tools. Timelines may seem accurate. Then you dig in and nothing goes as planned.
Whether you’re still in the planning stages or are staring at a decades-old project, learning more about the task is always well advised. Bring up YouTube videos, checkout or buy a book, and consult with professionals so you understand each part of the project.
Step 2 - Create a Plan
Once you feel you have the DIY knowledge you need, create a plan for sourcing materials, getting extra hands when needed, and setting a timeline. Creating a plan gives you a tangible goal and helps keep you from losing focus or endlessly procrastinating.
Step 3 - Put It on the Calendar
Use whatever organizational method is available to you. A wall calendar, a pocket planner, or an electronic schedule will all do the job. Break your project down into manageable tasks and put each line item on the calendar.
For a small project, like building a shelf, you will likely complete it in one day, so block out the time you’ll need. For larger, multi-step projects like building a shed, break down your list into windows of time that make sense.
This might mean having supplies delivered or making the haul to the home improvement store one day, followed by a work party to raise the walls several work days later. Be realistic with the time you have and the amount of time each task will require.
Step 4 - Seek Help
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. In fact, it’s a great opportunity to learn. If your sewing machine isn’t working properly, the cabinets don’t fit right, or the plumbing connections are working out, seek out someone with more experience.
Step 5 - Let Others Hold You Accountable
Accountability is a powerful tool. If you know you have to update your spouse, friend, or co-worker on your progress, you’re more likely to finish the job. So when you start your project, talk about it. Don’t be afraid of failure. You’re taking the time to invest in yourself and grow as a person.
Every project presents obstacles, but if you bring others into the loop, you’ll be more motivated to find solutions as they arise rather than giving up.
Step 6 - Make It a Social Event
As mentioned, it’s a good idea to ask for help when you need it, but you can even plan for help from the beginning. There’s a reason barn raisings were popular back in the day. Sometimes it takes a community, even if you feel like you should be able to handle it yourself.
If you have a big project on the docket, ask friends to help and repay their kindness with a bar-b-que at the end of the day.
Step 7 - Reward Yourself
Even the smallest tasks can hang over your head, constantly catching your radar and weighing you down with guilt and stress.
Make a checklist of those small items like mounting the last piece of trim, touching up the paint around last summer’s garage repair, installing the transition piece on the flooring, replacing the ripped screening, and tackling the sunken paver stones.
Whatever is on the list, manage them one at a time and reward yourself with each success. When the patio is level again, get a new planter or table.
If you finish off the deck railing, enjoy it with a cocktail in hand. When you finally complete the flower bed, sit nearby with an ice cream cone. Before you know it, the incomplete projects will find their end and the new projects can begin.
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![Dawn Hammon]()
Dawn Hammon has thrived in freelance writing and editor roles for nearly a decade. She has lived, worked, and attended school in Oregon for many years. Dawn currently spends her days convincing her children she is still smarter than them while creating new experiences with her husband of 24 years.  Her multiple interests have led her to frequently undergo home improvement projects. She enjoys sharing the hard-earned knowledge that comes with it with the audience of DoItYourself.com. Dawn and her sister make up a power-tool loving duo that teaches classes to local women with the goal of empowering them to tackle their fears and become comfortable with power tools. Tapping into her enthusiasm for saving money and devotion to sustainable practices, Dawn has recently launched a passion project aimed at connecting eco-friendly products and socially-responsible companies with consumers interested in making conscientious purchases, better informing themselves about products on the market, and taking a stand in favor of helping to save the planet. When she is not providing stellar online content for local, national, and international businesses or trolling the internet for organic cotton clothing, you might find her backpacking nearby hills and valleys, traveling to remote parts of the globe, or expanding her vocabulary in a competitive game of Scrabble. Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, which these days she mostly uses to provide therapy for her kids and spouse. Most recently, I worked for a small local professional organizing and estate sale company for four years where I learned a ton about organizing and/or disposing of just about anything. She was raised in a tool-oriented, hands-on, DIY family. Her dad worked in the floor covering business and owned local floor covering businesses, so of course selling floor covering was one of her first jobs. Her brother was a contractor for about 30 years and site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity. I worked with him often, building decks, painting houses, framing in buildings, etc. With her sister, she holds power tool classes to empower women who are scared or have never used them. Not quite homesteaders, she did grow up with a farm, tractors, motorcycles, expansive gardens, hay fields, barns, and lots of repairs to do. Plus she and her family preserved foods, raised cattle and pigs, chopped and hauled firewood, and performed regular maintenance on two households, outbuildings, fencing, etc. As an adult, she has owned two houses. The first one she personally ripped out a galley kitchen and opened it up to the living area, plus updated every door, floor covering, and piece of trim in the place. In her current home, she's tackled everything from installing real hardwood flooring to revamping the landscape.
