I heard this phrase when I was listening to Happier Gretchen Rubin’s podcast.
The concept of the Incomplete upgrade refers to those things around you that are 95% done.
Here’s a common example:
The washing is folded but not put away in the drawers. My classic personal “incomplete upgrade” on this is that the folded washing is in a basket on top of the very drawers it should go into.
I tell myself that it is because I need to priorities tasks that are “time-sensitive”. If the kids are asking for me, then I will put their needs first and put the washing away later.
But you know what, “later” ends up being five days later when I have a huge pile of clean washing and can’t find anything to wear!
By then it is urgent, stressful and a big job.
The washing is a simple example but it shows up in many areas of life. The half finished online course, the decluttering that didn’t make it out of the house, the process that we spent weeks crafting but then failed to roll out properly.
So what is the issue here?
Why do we sabotage ourselves?
Setting up a system not the issue but having the discipline to follow through a little every day.
When you take on a new behaviour, assignment or project we have a Feeling of progress and atmosphere of growth. However if it is too abrupt, you simply can’t keep up.
It can feel very demoralizing when you leave it half done.
What is going on in your life that is an “incomplete upgrade”?
What is holding you back from completion?
How will you feel when it is done?
I have to admit that this is something I really struggle with especially with physical clutter. So my bathroom mirror sticker for the next 2weeks will be
LOL! I suffer from the same malady. As I spend the time to leave a reply, there is a pile of clean clothes covering the only chair in my living room — for two weeks. It still must be ironed, folded and put away. Part of it is I have too many clothes allowing me to go for weeks without running out of clean clothes. But I digress.
So, what is going on in my life that’s an incomplete upgrade. Well, there’s my ersatz job, for one. There’s a lot going on there. My BFF thinks that I was acting as an employee instead of a partner, and she’s right about that. So I’ve made the changes necessary to get me out of the paid staffer mentality and into ah, what, exactly? Helpful friend who’s preparing someone else’s business for free? Semi-retired dabbler in new markets in new countries?
Looking back, I can see that since March I’ve pretty much allowed my partner to call all the shots, but by June I could see that his, “Ready, Fire! Aim” method of marketing was clearly not working and I was spinning my wheels. We’ve talked about it and I think he gets it now that redirecting his current business to the new site is faster, easier and more profitable than attempting to develop new tours, or new channels. Yay! Seven months later and we could possibly be on the right track.
I’ve set aside 6 hours at week for SEO development and 3 for website development, and then promptly missed the first 3 hour SEO session yesterday. Yes, something else was urgent, but there will almost always be something else that’s urgent. I’m not sure if it’s a discipline thing or a working alone thing or what. I’ve scheduled myself to work on SEO site issues from 2 until 5 pm today, and there’s nothing standing in my way (except the ironing, folding and putting away, and cleaning the kitchen) of doing it. Right now, I’m feeling like I’m going to do it. Do you think I talked myself into it?