TL/DR:
- Unfinished projects from last year were blocking the fun, creative work ahead.
- A dedicated “last mile week” to close out lingering tasks cleared the mental and logistical clutter.
- The concept borrows from shipping: the last mile is getting packages from the warehouse to your door. Same idea for your to-do list.
- Finishing boring tasks isn’t fun in the moment, but the relief and freedom afterward are worth it.
- If you love starting more than finishing, try scheduling a last mile day or week to finally get those loose ends tied up.
The Whole Shebang:
My word of the year is whims.
Why?
Because I tend to be a planner; as someone with ADHD, I require that structure to function (even if I often resist it).
And literally no one would say that I’m spontaneous. (Just as my husband.)
But this year, I want more of following what seems fun and less of planning for what I hope will work out.
I want more whimsy.
And in order to have more whimsy I need to be able to follow my whims.
I’m going to embrace my shiny object syndrome a little more than I have in the past.
Will it work? Will I like it? Who knows? That’s why I’m experimenting.
However, I have all these ideas (whims!) that I want to lean into, but I was feeling that it was difficult to lean into them them when I also had a bunch of unfinished projects leftover from last year (because I’m human and nothing magical happens on 12/31, dates are made up. End of rant. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.)
And so I blocked off a week.
And I called it “last mile” week.
You know, like “last mile delivery”.
Shipping generally occurs in 2 phases, putting your stuff on a cargo plane or ship to get it to your city. And then the “last mile” folks who get it from the warehouse it’s delivered to to your front door.
So, I scheduled this last mile week, with the goal being to knock out the “last mile” of the unfinished projects and tasks (many of which were kinda boring!) so that I could get onto the whims.
And you know what? It worked.
And I liked it.
Did I like doing all that stuff?
Not exactly. But I definitely liked getting it done!
And now, as I write this on a plane coming back from a vacation, I’m ready to lean into the whims.
No more loose ends hanging over my head.
So, if you’ve got a bunch of unfinished stuff hanging over your head, dragging you down, schedule a last mile week, or a last mile day, and see how much freer you feel afterwards.
(Not to mention accomplished!!)
And if you’re the kind a person who likes starting more than finishing, well, this technique is for you.