Why do we start so many things that we just can't finish?

I have been working so hard to get so many things done .. I keep a list of things to do and seem i never get to many of them marked off . Stress maybe ? I dunno .. Currently I am working on getting a Prayer Quilt to my sisters Business partner and great friend who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer .. I guess when you think about all these things that affect your family so dear and so close it has its toll on you too .. I've got my husbands quilt half finished .. my moms needs to be quilted .. still yet to start my brother in laws for christmas and gotta quilt my nephews for christmas, plus the many swaps we do on our groups .. Some days i think i must be outta my mind. Who knows maybe the lil quilting i get done keeps me some what sane. I cant say. I've helped my daughter paint her apartment, shes finally come to ask me for help but then she throws out there that her bfs mom is being left out .. so the chaos is back?
Hopefully before christmas i will get outta this slump and get what needs to be done done and find out why !