Finishing What I Start

I noticed a few weeks ago that I had not finished some things that I had started a long time ago and so I have been making a concerted effort to get them taken care of. I just feel somewhat unresolved when I don't complete even small tasks and I am hoping that by getting in the habit of polishing things off, I will be able to finish the biggest project of them all . . . . THE DISSERTATION. Here are my lists of things I have completed and need to complete

COMPLETED

• listening to "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (it actually was a fairly boring book- way too long. But I did enjoy how they discussed Spain and its culture and places since I lived there
• finally finished "Inclusion"- it was a good book, just VERY dense and full of facts and information
• the quiet book games started at mother's group
• 2 seasons of Prison Break (the show really is so addictive- I watched ALL the episodes during the time William was gone. I just have the first few from season 3 to catch up on)
• the revisions for chapter that I am co-authoring with my adviser on the Internet and the Experience of Illness
• read Devil Bones to finish off all of the Bones series
  

IN PROCESS

• I started some other folder books while William was gone- it was very therapeutic to color. I just need to get them laminated at the place Lianne told me about (thanks Lianne! :-)
  
• I am re-listening to "Freakonomics" because I bought the audio book years ago and started listening to it, but never finished it. Interesting, but I think that he is finding the most obscure explanations to the problems when they are really multi-causal
  
• need to finish listening to Jesus the Christ- I was so near the end and then Lappy 1 died and never finished it up
• John Adams book by James McCullough. I LOVED the first section of the book when it happened in Boston because I lived there for so long and loved the city. I lost interest when he went to France- but I am determined to finish it because I am eager to see the new HBO series about him
• And the one that still needs the most work . . . THE DISSERTATION. I have to say that I have been better about working on it these past 2 weeks. Last week I wrote 15 pages and I have already done about 6 for this week so I am on a good track. I definitely need to keep this momentum up to finish it by my self- imposed deadline of having a draft by January. I found out today that I need to have my dissertation DEFENDED by April 8, 2009. That is the ultimate deadline that I need to meet.
  

So, I am capitalizing on my current momentum and am going to continue to FINISH what I start