OK, I might as well get to this. I’ve been putting it off for three days now. And it wasn’t until this morning’s yoga session that I narrowed the search for what to talk about this week. I have a feeling this one’s for me, since I doubt that too many will read it on New Year’s Day. So, here goes.

This week’s inquiry is Completion. I know, it’s obvious to think about it at the end of the year, before the clock ticks to 12:01 a.m., January 1st. It’s natural to look around my office and see the stacks of paper with no destination, and around the house and see those areas that need some love, and dusting.

It’s also natural to look further out to see how many of the projects I started this year (or last) came to completion. I have to admit that there are some important ones that are hanging in limbo; not quite out of sight and mind, but also not on the field of action either.

What then is a worthy inquiry for the subject of completion? One area of importance is to look at the energy that gets generated when a desire arises, and where that energy goes when that desire is unfulfilled or incomplete. Physicists tell us that energy doesn’t disappear or dissipate, at least in a closed system. Instead, it changes form.

We may not live in a closed system (although it sometimes feels like that) but the energy that is generated through wanting what we do not have, if not brought to completion, does change form. For humans, the form it changes into is stories.

When you are no longer in action, and not moving forward towards what you say you want, the energy builds up inside, and if you're not careful, becomes a story about the action, like when you talk about how you will get to it soon. It can also become a story about why the action can’t take place, otherwise known as an excuse.

Stories live in the words we speak, and in the meaning that propels those words from our lips. What could possibly make us want to change the form from actions into stories? Stories are safer for one thing. I want to give an example, but first let’s take a look at desire.

If desire is a ladder, the bottom rung must be a wish of some kind.

“I wish I could go to Paris in the Spring," or "I wish I could find a job I really liked."

It sounds good, but the likelihood of it happening depends on whether that wish becomes something more. If your wish becomes an urge, or even a need, it becomes stronger. If it has enough strength to become a clear intention that is then married to your words and actions, it rises higher on the ladder. An unswerving commitment to success is somewhere at the top. You may have more distinctions, but I think you get the picture.

Stories are perhaps the greatest hindrance to effective action because, in their telling, they take its place. A story about why you can’t do what you want to do with the rest of your life, may satisfy you in the moment, but as a long-term strategy, it just doesn’t fly.

Now for the example of how stories impede the action process. If you go back to the first paragraph in this email, you will see my story. First there’s the apology. Then the excuse. Then the rationale. And finally the disclaimer. One way to sniff out a story (in case you want to try this for yourself) is to see if anything would suffer if you removed it. In this case, I have to say it didn’t add a thing.

OK, so here we are on the eve of yet another year. We can look back and tell our stories about why we didn’t do all the things we attempted, or we can use the full power of our intention to complete what is still important, and let the rest go.

We can also build on our accomplishments, rather than our incompletions. We can look back and appreciate the gains we’ve made. For me, I've seen significant gains in my abilities as a writer, speaker and facilitator. And more personally, as a husband and friend.

As for 2010, I face it full on, with gratefulness, as a creative force for good.

PRACTICE

Completion is good for the soul. It creates more space in your day, with more time to spend on what matters most to you.

The practice for this week is to notice your stories. Do they take you forward, or are they an excuse for not moving towards what you say you want?

Look for the energy behind the stories. That will tell you a lot about what drives your actions.

In peace,

Michael