204: How to Finish What You Start (Even If You're Easily Distracted)

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How to Finish What You Start (Even If You're Easily Distracted)

Struggling to finish projects because your attention gets pulled in seventeen different directions? You're not broken - you just need a finishing system designed for scattered brains. In this episode of The Overwhelmed Entrepreneur, Cindy Gordon reveals why willpower-based finishing advice fails for easily distracted entrepreneurs and shares her Strategic Finishing Method for actually completing what matters.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your brain releases dopamine when starting projects but loses interest in the middle (and how to work with this, not against it)
• The reality check audit that helps you strategically abandon projects that no longer serve you
• How to break projects into "attention-span chunks" that work with scattered focus
• The momentum triggers that automatically pull you back to important work when distractions happen
• Why "good enough to progress" beats perfectionist paralysis every time

Perfect for: Easily distracted entrepreneurs, business owners with ADHD traits, female entrepreneurs who struggle with follow-through, and anyone tired of being a "serial starter who never finishes."

Episode Highlights: "The problem isn't your willpower or your character - it's that you're trying to use finishing strategies designed for brains that work completely differently than yours."

"Finished and imperfect beats perfect and abandoned every single time."

"Your scattered attention isn't evidence that you're not cut out for entrepreneurship - it's often exactly what makes you creative, adaptable, and innovative."

Resources mentioned:

• The Reality Check Method
• Strategic Finishing Method
• ExclusivelyCindy.com
• @exclusivelycindy

Stop fighting your scattered brain and start working with it. Finally finish what actually matters to your business.

👉 Tag @ExclusivelyCindy on Instagram/Facebook and share how you're using this tip as an overwhelmed entrepreneur - I'd love to connect and hear your story!

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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The OVERWHELM CURE - Beat entrepreneur overwhelm in one hour! Perfect for overwhelmed business owners who need fast results - https://exclusivelycindy.thrivecart.com/the-overwhelm-cure/

Daily Success Framework - Productivity system for overwhelmed entrepreneurs: https://stan.store/cindygordon/p/get-my-daily-success-framework-now

Get your Printable Success Affirmation Cards for Business Owners here: https://stan.store/cindygordon/p/success-affirmation-cards-digital-download

Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: ...

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Let me guess.
You have at least threeunfinished projects sitting on
your desk right now.
Maybe it's that course.
You were so excited to createthat marketing campaign.
You started last month, or thebusiness system, you swore you'd
implement this quarter.
You started each one withgeneral enthusiasm, but
somewhere along the way, yourattention got pulled in 17

(00:20):
different directions and nowyou're beating yourself up.
For being a serial starter whonever finishes, stop right
there.
That's the story that you'retelling yourself and it is not
true.
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, thecreator of the Reality Check
Method, and a business coach foroverwhelmed female
entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold severaldigital businesses, and I have

(00:43):
worked with business owners whothink that they're broken
because they can't seem tofinish what they start.
But here's the reality checkthat you need.
The problem isn't your willpoweror your character.
It's that you're trying to usefinishing strategies designed
for brains that work completelydifferent than yours.
Here's what's probably happeningin your life.
You start projects withincredible energy and vision.

(01:05):
You see exactly how this newinitiative will transform your
business.
Then real life kicks in clientemergencies, family obligations.
That urgent email that turnedinto a three hour rabbit hole,
before you know it, your projectis gathering dust while you feel
like a complete failure.
Then comes the shame spiral.

(01:27):
You start questioning whetheryou're cut out for
entrepreneurship.
You wonder if successfulbusiness owners are just more
disciplined than you are.
Then you decide that maybeyou're lazy or you have a lack
of focus.
So you either abandon theproject entirely or force
yourself through with sheerwillpower until you burn out.
I see this pattern constantly.

(01:50):
You're not lacking discipline.
You're just trying to use afinishing system that wasn't
designed for how your brainactually works.
Most productivity advice assumesthat you can maintain laser
focus for hours at a time, thatyou don't have constant
interruptions and that yourmotivation stays constant.
But that's not the reality formost business owners.

(02:13):
When we begin a new project, ourbrain releases dopamine.
You know, that feel-goodchemical.
That makes us feel excited andmotivated.
But as the project progressesand becomes routine, that
dopamine hit decreases, andsuddenly the work might feel a
little boring.
Or overwhelming.
Add that to the entrepreneurialreality that you are constantly

(02:36):
switching between tasks, dealingwith client needs, and managing
multiple priorities.
Your brain literally getsrewired for quick task switching
rather than sustained focus.
This isn't a character flaw,it's just your brain adapting to
its environment.
Here's the reality check.
Most finishing advice just tellsyou to push through or eliminate

(02:58):
all distractions.
But if you're running abusiness, eliminating
distractions isn't realistic.
Clients need responses.
Family situations arise and newopportunities appear instead of
fighting your scatteredattention, we need to work with
it.
The key is understanding thatfinishing isn't about perfect
focus.
It's about strategic momentumand creating systems that work

(03:21):
with your easily distractedbrain and not against it.
Here's how to finish what youstart.
First, you're gonna stopeverything and honestly assess
your current unfinishedprojects.
So reality, check yourself.
Ask yourself which project needsfinished.
Which one would genuinely movemy business forward?
What am I trying to finish?

(03:42):
Just because I started it versuswhat actually matters.
Now, what would happen if I gavemyself permission to abandon all
the projects that no longerserve me?
Write down all your answers.
This isn't about forcingyourself to finish everything.
It's about strategicallychoosing what deserves your
focused attention.
The next step is the distractionfriendly breakdown you're going

(04:05):
to take your chosen project andbreak it into what I call
attention span chunks.
These are tasks that takebetween 15 to 25 minutes max.
Your scattered brain can focusfor short bursts.
So instead of planning for athree hour work session plan for
multiple short sprints, eachchunk should be specific enough

(04:26):
that you could complete it evenif you got interrupted halfway
through.
The next step is all aboutmomentum triggers.
This is where the magic happensfor the easily distracted
entrepreneurs.
Instead of waiting formotivation, create environmental
triggers that automatically pullyou back to your project.
This could be a specificplaylist, a particular location,

(04:47):
or even a simple routine likelighting a candle.
When your attention inevitablywanders, these triggers help you
slip back into project modewithout the mental effort of
getting motivated again.
So let me give you a couplepractical steps to make this
work in real life.
First establish what I callproject check-in alarms.

(05:09):
Set up to three random alarmsthroughout your week that simply
ask yourself, am I still workingon what matters?
This isn't about guilt.
It's a gentle redirection whenyour attention has wandered to
less important tasks.
Next, embrace the good enough toprogress mindset.
Your easily distracted brain,often abandons projects because

(05:33):
they're not perfect, butfinished and imperfect beats
perfect and abandon every singletime.
Give yourself permission tocomplete things at 80% of your
original vision.
If that means actuallyfinishing, and finally, I create
these reentry rituals.
When you inevitably get pulledaway from your project, have a

(05:55):
simple two minute routine thathelps you remember where you
were when you left off and whatcomes next.
This could be leaving yourself avoice memo, writing one sentence
about your next step, or justclosing your laptop in a
specific way that signals, I'llbe back Here's what I want you
to remember.
Being easily distracted isn't acharacter flaw that disqualifies

(06:17):
you from finishing importantprojects.
It's just information about howyour brain works.
And once you understand that youcan design systems that actually
serve you.
You don't need to develop superhuman focus to finish what
matters.
You don't need to eliminateevery single distraction from
your life.
You just need a reality checkabout what's worth finishing.

(06:38):
Break it down into attentionspan friendly pieces, and create
simple triggers to help youmaintain momentum.
Even when life gets chaotic,your scattered attention isn't
evidence that you're not cut outfor entrepreneurship.
It's often exactly what makesyou creative, adaptable, and
innovative in your business.
The key is learning to channelthe energy strategically instead

(07:00):
of letting it scatter in alldirections.
This distraction friendlyapproach to finishing projects
is exactly what I teachentrepreneurs in my Growth
Collective Mastermind, becausewhen you work with your brain
instead of against it,everything is possible.
And if you want more strategieslike this, follow me at

(07:21):
exclusively Cindy on Instagramfor more reality checks that
actually work for scatteredentrepreneurs.
Now, go finish something thatmatters.
And remember, you've got this.

Speaker (07:34):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.

(07:55):
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively.
Send.
d.com.
Until next time, remember,you've got this.