“It is the loose ends with which men hang themselves.” – Zelda Fitzgerald
Many sincere and earnest people’s hands are tied by loose ends. Loose ends affect business, relationships and just about every sphere of human activity.
Though your life is likely “compartmentalized” (e.g. work, home, leisure pursuits, spiritual commitments, etc.), all of the pieces move with you as you march forward through time. Your life – as different as the various pieces may be from one to the other – is one thing. Moreover, your life is enmeshed with the lives of many others, if not the whole body of humanity. What you do matters more than you might have imagined.
It is easy to see, then, that like shoelaces, a loose end in one part of your life can easily trip you up in another, unrelated part. And when you trip, everything in your life (and potentially something in mine for that matter!) is affected, whether you perceive it or not.
If you want to be a productive, influential person you must master the art of tying up loose ends. There are many ways to do this, but one of the simplest I know of is to take 30 minutes at the same time every day (pick a time when you’re least likely to be doing anything) and tie up as many loose ends as you can accurately.
You might want to keep a list of them or you can follow the “Proximity Rule.” This rule simply means that you start with the loose end that is physically closest to you. When the designated loose end time comes, stop, turn slowly around until you find the closest loose end that you can take to the next level of organization. Oh and by the way, don’t let personal preference influence your choice.
Not all loose ends can be tied at the end of every day, but in my observation most that are left untied could have been handled had the person developed better habits in this area.
The ability to tie up loose ends invisibly, gracefully and consistently is the mark of one who can reliably bring order out of chaos. It is also a skill essential to good management, fatherhood or friendship.
When you’re thinking about your New Year’s resolution, consider the loose ends in your life. You’ll be surprised at how many other areas of your world are lifted up by making this simple little adjustment in your approach.
Gregory Hake 
This is a timely topic. It’s a quiet time of year at work and home and my goal has been to tie up “loose ends” so that I don’t carry them forward into the new year. I really appreciate the topic because it comes down to taking care of your field. It’s so easy to address the things you love to do but the ones that aren’t so much fun need to be taken care of too. The weight can be mighty if you’re in the habit of procrastination.
Thanks so much for what you provide with this blog Gregg. It makes a difference.
LikeLike
I always feel it’s best to do today whatever you can when (as appropriate), as you never know what tomorrow will bring. The feeling of being weighted down or overwhelmed often comes because we fail to do the things that we can when the opportunity arises. Organization is sublime and in my experience, is not static, but yet dynamic, a constant refinement of living.
LikeLike
Great advice Gregg – thanks! One of the ‘fundamentals’ to success is Time Management, and a very important component of this is setting priorities. And of course once you set a priority it then becomes “an end” if you will. When you willingly list lots of priorities each day yet then develop the habit of leaving some of them undone, you are leaving loose ends. This can become an insidious habit that leads to serious decay as it eats away at your confidence. One of the key elements to living a rich and generative life is to finish things.
LikeLike
Great suggestion, thank you. I was reading a blog by a professional organizer and she suggested a list and include the time the task should take, such as clean out desk junk drawer 15 minutes. When choosing the loose end to tie up that information can assist. There are usually many things that can be done in say 10 or 15 minutes. It also breaks the cycle of inertia. I also read a piece on sleeping better and a list was suggested at the end of each day to unload the burdens you have on your mind to accomplish tomorrow.
LikeLike
This seems like a simple thing, yet it has the potential to make or break the ability to succeed. A loose end here or there might not seem like much, but lack of maintenance on a lot of little things builds, and has the potential to bury. Maintaining the things around you, and even leaving them better than when they were discovered, is a vital part of being a successful adult
LikeLike
Great advice Gregg, thank you. Certainly doing what you suggest lightens one’s load and makes life easier all around. Why we wouldn’t rush to do this on a daily basis is a good question and probably one of those loose ends that is worth tying up!!
LikeLike