It's Okay to Not Finish

Sometimes, we just need to step away from something and not finish it. And that's okay. We only have so much time on this spinning rock. We can't do it all, see it all, read it all, or be it all. We have to choose, and be ruthless about it. Time is our most precious commodity. Respect thyself. If it ain't working, stop! and do something else.

If what we started is not what we thought it would be, or maybe, we got what we needed out of it and don't need to go further, then, yes, stop doing it. Don't waste your time anymore. Be practical and honest with yourself. Ask yourself: do I need to continue? What will happen if I don't? Is that the end of the world? (Unless it's an Armageddon mission, usually not!)

Let's take reading books for example. Unless it's for school or work or a professional qualification, you do not have to finish it! I just DNFed (Did Not Finished) my second book of the year, and ever. (I used to not finish books because I was never a reader. Now since my big reading kick of May 2021, and forging my way as a writer, I am on a mission. Which has recently been refined from that of education to a lifestyle and enjoyment.) And it feels good to not finish. Back to positive energy flow.

So the DNFed book. It's a highly rated book, but not for me. What a struggle... I could list off all the negative things of why it just didn't work for me (and I seriously question how it could work for anyone...), but different stroke for different folks I guess. I dropped it at 44%. A solid 34% more than what my initial gut reaction was. I tried. It's just not my style at all. I have so many other books I'd like to try out from new authors, and even from those that I've enjoyed in the past, but just haven't been returning to because I want to expand my author exposure and build up a great list of those I like. But that has changed this year and I will read more from those I've discovered and liked.

I know what I like and what I believe good writing is and what my writing style is. And I was never on the literary style. Ever. I like dialogue-driven stories, where the characters tell the story, not the writer! I like to be in the action with the characters and get a brief sense of their thoughts and feelings of a situation as they go through it, not told endless exposition drivel about someone or something, because... whatever... do you smell that wet fart in the shower... good god... who cares? Writer, get the fuck out of the way! There's no buy-in in that storytelling approach of yesteryear. It's archaic (old!) and ennui (boring!). Language and style are king when I enjoy a book. Fluffy, twenty dollar words need not apply. If I want word salad I'll read poetry or some long ass op-ed piece in The New York Times. (Or Shakespeare or Faust - the only two that can get away with it! Geniuses! They light up the creative language part of my brain like no other.)

I digress. In the end, whether it's reading or a project, we don't have to finish it. Yes, I highly recommend finishing as many things as possible, but sometimes we have to cut our losses, or maybe we got what we wanted to explore in doing it, and we are now done. That's okay. Respect yourself, love yourself. Chase bliss and follow your joy. Life is too short!