Hey guys,

I'm constantly on top of my guys about the importance of completing things.

During a coaching session with one of my clients last Friday I was telling them that I was disappointed with the fact that they had promised to get a number of documents through to me on many occasions and had not once performed.

Their response was "...but I have the 4 things 80% completed.". My response was simply "So you've really achieved nothing?"

After the immediate defensive wall that they put up to prove they were right, they settled down and began to realise that even though they had put a lot of time into each of the things, they hadn't in fact completed any of the tasks.

Further, I knew they had committed to completing a technical course which required a fair bit of study and a number of exams, so I asked them about that. Their response: "I have studied all the subjects but haven't done the exams..." Bear in mind that the information is basically useless until they have been awarded the certificate. So, again -- I pushed a little -- "So you've still achieved nothing so far, right?"

This time, the response was a little different. He had begun to realise that he'd achieved 80% of his goal, but still had the other 20% to go. The final 20%. The most important 20%. The 20% that makes the difference between winners and losers, successful and unsuccessful.

As we went on it became clear that 80% was a common theme throughout their entire life. He had been 100% committing but only 80% completing for so long that they had almost forgotten how to finish something.

It's all about Discipline...

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I see it so often in life and it's something that I suffered from until I began to make a conscious effort to 100% complete things. For years I would say I will do this and not really deliver until I realised that one of the major differences in the people that I met who were successful was that they would 100% commit and 100% complete. It has been the single biggest factor in the success I have had.

My realisation...

The scary thing is that it took a close friend of mine to confront me with the reality of my lack of discipline. At first I denied it (that was my ego), but deep down I knew they were correct. Since that day I have consistently completed things and my results have gotten bigger and bigger.

I am about to complete my first solo flight in a helicopter. It has taken 6 months, 17 hours flying, 2 exams and 1 medical. I still have around 40 hours and 5 exams to complete this, but I can guarantee that come the end of the year I will be licensed to fly a helicopter. I can say this because I now complete things. I have become a 100% person and that has made a massive difference to my life.

How do you overcome being an 80% person?

Simply make a conscious decision to 100% complete everything you do.

My client's problem was that they had gotten into such a habit of 80%ing everything that it was going to be a massive change. The good news is that once you start 100% completing tasks you see the results straight away. Everything becomes easier and the people around you seem to change.

I advised them to achieve small things first. The technical course for starters.Then something else. Then something else. Complete each thing before attempting the next. As they achieved each thing the success of this would reinforce the new attitude of 100% completion. Over time with effort the old 80% habit would be replaced with 100% completion. The results would begin to flow and then they would be ready to attack bigger tasks.

So if you feel like you have a thousand things 80% completed and you feel as though you are in a bit of a "rut", perhaps it's time you give me a call and let me guide you out of it. It's always easier when you have someone who's been where you are to help guide you where you want to go.

Live with passion,

Brett Wood

PS. Yours might not be a technical qualification, a helicopter license, but it will be something. So find out what it is and solve it... And the sooner the better!