First published 13 June 2025

The Finishing Line: Why We Stumble When We Should Be Sprinting

There’s something very odd that happens when we can finally see the finishing line of a project we’ve been working on for months (or years).

You’d think we’d put our heads down and power through those final steps, wouldn’t you?

Instead, many of us find ourselves doing the strangest thing – we slow down, we procrastinate, we suddenly discover a hundred other “urgent” tasks that need to be done first – like RIGHT NOW!

I’m writing this while staring at a to-do list that’s some how multiplied over the last 24 hours, just when I thought it was nearly done.

The proof copies of ‘Snap Into Calm’ are now on order (terrifyingly exciting!), but now I’ve decided in my infinite wisdom to rewrite about a quarter of it.

Plus, there’s the new domain name to sort (which was not in the original plan) and this brings with it a new website to build, social media accounts to set up and get started with (also not in the original plan!)…

My pre-launch list is now more daunting than when I first opened a blank document and typed “Introduction.”

Sound familiar?

The Energy of Almost There

From a kinesiology perspective, there’s fascinating energy work happening when we approach completion.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Metal element governs our ability to let go and move forward – it’s connected to the Lung and Large Intestine meridians.

When this energy is blocked, we literally can’t release what we’ve been holding onto, even when it’s time.

The Lung meridian, which peaks between 3-5 am, looks after our capacity to take in the new and release the old, so if you’ve been finding yourself wide awake at 3am worrying about your “almost finished” project, your Metal element could be struggling with the transition from creation to completion.

The Throat Chakra Squeeze

There’s also something happening at the Throat Chakra level when we’re about to put our work out into the world.

This energy centre, located at the base of the throat, is in charge of our authentic self-expression and communication.

When it’s blocked or overactive, we either can’t speak our truth or are terrified of how it will be received (good or bad!) The closer we get to sharing our creation – whether it’s a book, a business launch, or finally having that difficult conversation – the more our Throat Chakra can constrict with fear.

“What if they don’t like it?  What if I’ve got it wrong?  What if I’m not ready?  What if they really like it and want more?”

The Perfectionist’s Last Stand

So, here’s the thing I have learned through my own stumbling approach to this finishing line: Perfectionism isn’t really about making things perfect.

It’s about control (I may have been accused of being a total control freak on occasion… Have you?).

It’s about keeping our precious project safe in the realm of “almost done” where it can’t be judged, criticised, or – heaven forbid – ignored.

But here’s the thing – our projects aren’t meant to stay safe.

They’re meant to be shared, to do their work in the world, to help the people they’re designed to help.

Moving Through the Finishing Line Energy

If you’re struggling with your own finishing line, try this simple exercise:

• Place one hand on your heart centre and one on your throat.
• Take three deep breaths, imagining you’re breathing golden light into both spaces.
• As you exhale, visualise releasing the need for your project to be perfect and instead setting the intention for it to be helpful.’
• Then ask yourself: “What is one small action I can take today that moves me closer to completion?” Not perfection – completion.

Your Turn

Surely I am not alone in behaving like this?

You know what they say, “misery likes company”, so jump in and share – what project are you avoiding the finishing line of right now?

What’s keeping you in that space of “nearly there” rather than “done and dusted”?

And more importantly, what’s one action you could take today, just one, that would move you closer to crossing that line? (I’m sensing a theme here – I am sure this was last week’s question too!)

Hit reply and let me know.

Sometimes, sharing our finishing line fears with someone else is exactly the nudge we need to take that final step forward.

Remember, the world needs what you’re creating. It doesn’t need it to be perfect – it needs it to be yours.

With love and finishing line solidarity,

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If you’re wondering, I think I am going to take my 3 deep breaths and my one action for today is to stop fiddling with all the extras and get the last tweak to the content finished so that I can safely press the go-live button on the 19th of June.  I’ll share the link to buy next week….😉 no more excuses!

There may even be an early bird price for the first 25 copies sold…