Finally Get Stuff Done!

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that we do ourselves a disservice when we take on new projects before we finish important projects we’ve already begun. Over time, we end up with half-finished messes instead of certified accomplishments.

This is why it’s best to complete any task worth doing as soon as humanly possible, even if it means taking on fewer projects. As the explorer Alex Mackenzie once said, “The key to successful time management is doing the most important task first and giving it your full concentration, to the exclusion of everything else.”

Although it does require some discipline to avoid distractions, it’s well-worth the effort. As the Dalai Lama put it, “Desire without self- discipline leads to self-destruction.”

The fact is, there just isn’t enough time to do it all. Even if you can do everything, that doesn’t mean you should. You must be willing to say no — no to new projects, no to new hobbies and meet-up groups, no to new TV shows, and sometimes you have to be willing to say no to yourself. Success lies in getting stuff done, not in being busy. The good news is that finishing is winning, and winning creates momentum. So stop starting and start finishing.

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