Guess it’s okay to admit this.  Now that I did finally finish and publish The Smart Patients Healthcare Handbook.  The handbook sat unfinished in my home office for far too many years.  Almost finished.  But not quite.  You know that saying “A funny thing happened on the way to the colosseum”?  Well for me a terrible thing happened on the way to finishing the handbook.

I lost my stores and that threw me into some kind of weird mental state.  One where I was in an intense depression and simultaneously fighting a courageous battle against a well-funded corporate foe.  I won the battle and lost the war. That result took me out mentally to a point where I could not even look at the book.  It was a struggle just getting thru each day.

Stayed in the health and nutrition industry for several years after losing that war.  But my heart just wasn’t in it anymore. Working for manufactures was not the same as the personal one on one interactions with the customers I loved so much.  I ended up leaving the industry entirely, off to do something new and try to get some joy back into my work life.

My sweet Mother would occasionally ask me about the handbook, but she never pushed it.  She would just remind me it was a good idea that I should think about finishing it. I would always agree, saying I will finish it, but would go home and not even pick it up.

I’m ashamed to admit my heart was broken for that long.  So long I would not even look at the handbook for ten years.

It’s strange, because I had no issues with offering nutrition and supplement advice when asked.  I think I let the handbook represent my time with my store in some kind of sacred way.  The handbook was born out of my desire to help those customers and when the store died, if felt as if the handbook should be buried with it.  Reflecting on this now, it feels silly that I could not get past that thought for so long.  I’m thankful my Mom kept asking about it, enough to keep me from throwing the handbook project away. 

A few years ago, I was planning my next five years, working out when I might retire and things of that nature.  Ended up sitting down with the unfinished handbook and a cup of coffee and going thru all my notes, research and the first edit rough draft of the handbook.  It was that day I decided to finish what I started, setting a goal to finish and publish before I retire. 

Finished The Smart Patients Healthcare Handbook. I’m not retired yet. Rekindled my desire to encourage others to take more proactive control over their own health. So happy I listen to my Mother. Thanks Mom!

What unfinished project do you have in your life?  What would it take for you to look at it with fresh eyes and get it done?  What are you waiting for?  I wish I had the strength of character to have been strong enough to get past my mental hurdles.  If you are bumping up against some of those yourself.  Why not sit down with a cup of coffee, that unfinished project and take a step toward the finish line.