The Year of FPIS

Happy New Year! It’s the time of year for resolutions. I don’t usually make them, but this year I’m declaring 2017 as the year of FPIS, Finishing Projects I’ve Started. You know, those UFOs* (Unfinished Objects) that are stuffed in closet corners or somewhere in a long forgotten folder on your computer.

For those of you who know me, yes I’ve said this before only to have the momentum slow down after a few months. This time I’m going to make more of a conscious effort to work on some unfinished project every day. I may not get all of my UFOs completed, but I should make good progress.

What kind of projects? you ask. All kinds. I have writing projects, painting projects, needlework projects, scrapbooking projects, home improvement projects, all that I’ve started or bought the supplies for, but haven’t finished.

I admit that I’m the kind of person who gets all excited about a new project, gets the supplies and starts it then, when a deadline looms or life intervenes, I set it aside. My intention is to get back to it, but sometimes I don’t. There’s an interesting article on Pick The Brain that talks about the effects of having partially finished projects hanging over your head.

It talks about the importance of knowing if a project is truly dead (ditch it) or you’ve just lost enthusiasm for it (salvage and repurpose what you can) or you still want to do it, but haven’t gotten around to it (make a plan to finish it).

I think there are a lot of psychological benefits to not having so many unfinished projects cluttering your life. I’m the kind of person who looks at a room in my house and all I see are the things that need to be done, not how nice the room looks. The husband, on the other hand, doesn’t view our house this way. Is this a male/female thing? or just a personality thing?

That’s my plan for 2017. What’s yours?

My wish for all of you this year: May you be happy and healthy, may you find success in all your endeavors, and may you finish all your UFOs.

* I first heard the term UFO used to describe an unfinished project on a panel I was on with other authors of craft-based mysteries. One author noted the term was used commonly among quilters to describe unfinished projects. I loved that so I’m using it too.