How to Develop the Habit of Finishing Stuff
Bad habits – in the beginning – are easier than good. The habit of almost finishing stuff destroys effectiveness, diminishes respect, and drains energy.
Anyone can start. Leaders finish.
People live with dangling rabbits pulling at their brain – unfinished stuff they intend to finish.
Rabbit chasers are exhausted. When your hands do one thing, but your head is thinking about the next thing, life zips past without you.
How to Develop the Habit of Finishing Stuff
#1. Finish one small thing before you begin the next thing.
Take something off your plate before you put something on it. It doesn’t have to be big. Here’s an example.
When I sit down to work, I might put a couple books back on the shelf before I begin something. You could:
- Throw something in the garbage.
- Save an unsaved document that’s hanging out on your desktop.
- Put something in its place.
- Close a few browser windows.
Caution: Don’t chase a dozen dangling rabbits. Finish one thing. It’s about the habit, not the rabbit.
#2. Begin-AND-finish small tasks.
Don’t create dangling rabbits by half-doing a task you can finish quickly.
Every dangling rabbit you create dilutes your ability to concentrate.
#3. When you leave your desk, put one thing in its place.
Before I leave my desk, I put my surface in the docking station and place the stylus in front of the docking station.
Before you break for lunch or go to your next meeting…
- Put away paper, pens, or headphones.
- Prepare your desk for the thing you’re going to do when you return.
“The shorter way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.” Mozart
#4. Only start what you intend to finish.
Ask yourself, “Do I intend to finish this?”
Run a test if you aren’t sure you can finish. But always finish the test.
What bad habits create dangling rabbits?
What mini habits might help leaders develop the habit of finishing stuff?
I recently read in the book, The Power of Clarity by Ann Latham that the word priority is derived from Latin. It started out as a singular noun with no plural form. However, in the 1940s or thereabouts, the word “priorities, started to become common.
Priority should have stayed singular. Focus on one thing at a time and you’ll get more done.
Try reduce your to-do list to the one thing you need to get done this morning.
Thanks, as always, Dan for these timely remarks. I love the Mozart quote!
Thanks, as always, Dan for these timely comments (for me) in starting the new year. I fight two spheres – my rapidly moving brain which kees jumping to the next thing, before my slower, doing hands can accomplish the last thing. I love the Mozart quote
I find your suggestions very helpful, Dan. After self examination, I can see that I have a tendency to prioritize the tasks that I can complete quickly. Unfortunately, this means that when I fall behind I am faced with tackling a lot of heavy lifting. The tasks that require extra time, effort and attention are the ones that pile up. I think I can change my bad habit by applying your advice.
Thank you again! This leadership concept has been weighing on my mind the last two weeks. I identified ‘not doing my homework” and “paying attention to small details” as areas that I need to improve. The homework problem started in high school. I have excelled when I have overcome that habit.
This is the reservoir from which one can drink to quench the thirst of ignorance. The absence of knowledge or little knowledge kills. When one rubs shoulders with Giants like Dan Rockwell and Mark Miller, one stands a good chance to change one’s life.
As we say in the Agile Software Development world: “Stop starting, start finishing.” Organisations usually have several developments running. And pick up a new one when it seems urgent. Result is loss of focus and therefore loss of productivity. Reduce the length of your to-do list! I love the comment by Paul Thornton on the origin of the word Priority, I am totally adopting that!