Start Finishing Book Summary - Start Finishing Book explained in key points

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Start Finishing summary

Name: Start Finishing
Rating: 4.6 (110 reviews)
Author: Charlie Gilkey

Charlie Gilkey

How to Go from Idea to Done

4.6 (110 ratings)

19 mins

Topics

Focus Routines & Habits Skills

Table of Contents

Start Finishing
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn how to turn an idea into a completed project!

How many ideas have excited you but never seen the light of day?

If the answer is “too many,” don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many people are bursting with ideas but never see them through because they’re waiting for a day or time when things – including their mood, energy, and everything else – feel right. Other people enthusiastically start working on their ideas right away but quickly lose steam when they run into challenges.

But ideas shouldn’t have to wait for an ideal day or be packed away at the sight of the first hurdle. By applying the clear steps laid out in these blinks, you can start turning your ideas into feasible projects today.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

which ideas are your best work waiting to happen;
whom to put on your team of supporters; and
why crumbs are good for your project.

To do your best work, first turn your ideas into projects.

Here’s a question: What does the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle have in common with the Dalai Lama, Buddhism’s spiritual leader? They both teach that humans thrive through action.

But not just any action. People thrive when they do the things that their own unique experience, knowledge, and perspective prepare them for. The author calls this doing best work.

So what’s your best work? If you’re not sure, look for clues in the ideas that constantly nag at you. Among those ideas are the ones that will lead to your best work. In order to thrive, you need to identify which ones they are – and act on them.

The key message here is: To do your best work, first turn your ideas into projects.

When you hear the word “project,” you probably think of school or work. But a project is anything that requires time, attention, and effort to complete – and life is full of them. Preparing for the first day of school is a project. So is moving to a new city.

Projects reveal your inner world. Think about it: If you find yourself dreading Mondays, that tells you a lot about what you don’t enjoy, just as finding yourself eagerly working late on a project clues you in to what you are passionate about. And best work projects – that is, projects that allow you to do your best work – create opportunities for you to thrive.

But how do you know which idea to turn into your first best work project?

Try this simple exercise: First, write down all the ideas you’re considering. These can range from creative initiatives at work to organizing the garage or going on a dream trip. Next, cross off the ideas that don’t deeply resonate with you and those you wouldn’t mind letting go of.

The ideas you’re left with are those that are important to you. But you still have to zoom in on one idea. To do this, consider the following: Which idea would you most like to celebrate completing? Which one will have the most significant impact on your life five years from now? Perhaps there’s an idea for which you’d happily wake up early or stay up late – or one you’d be heartbroken to abandon.

The idea that meets most of these criteria is the one to work on first. And the following blinks will demonstrate exactly how to do this.

To complete best work projects, you need to cultivate certain qualities.

If you’ve ever taken on a project, you know that there are bound to be some challenges involved with it. Best work projects are no different.

A few challenges in particular get in the way of starting or completing best work projects. You can get distracted by competing priorities, for one thing. And you often have to contend with head trash – the thoughts and ideas that tell you that you’re not capable of doing what you’ve set out to do. Maybe you don’t have realistic plans for your projects, or you think you lack the necessary resources. Or maybe the people around you don’t understand what you want to achieve and what you need to achieve it.

Planning your project involves creating a SMART goal and a support network.

Ever heard the saying, “A goal without a plan is just a wish?” Well, the same can be said about a project.

Sure, sorting through your ideas and choosing one is a great first step. But if you don’t know exactly how to execute it, or what you need to do so, you’ll struggle to make any progress. It’s a bit like swimming in the ocean without any idea where the shore is, or whether there’s even a shore at all.

Think of your project as a series of smaller parts that build on each other.

Whether it’s executing a bright idea or clearing out the garage, people often fail to do certain things because they don’t think they have enough time. And it’s easy to fall into this trap when it comes to best work projects.

But here’s the thing about time: you’ll never find enough of it. Instead, you have to make it. And once you’ve set aside time for one project, that same slot can be used for any projects that follow.

Know the various factors that can slow or stop your project.

So you’ve prioritized and planned your project and things are moving ahead. That’s great news, but regardless of how well you plan and schedule, you will encounter things that delay your project – or worse, stop it completely. And just as engineers have to account for the forces that slow down cars and planes, you have to be aware of the things and events that can pop up and negatively affect your progress.

Priorities, for one. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one who has them; other people do too, and their priorities are the things most likely to slow you down, if you let them. Let’s say that your dad calls you just as you’re sitting down to work. He wants to catch up, but that quality time will come at the expense of your productivity. What can you do?

Efficient strategies and schedules help you build momentum.

Here’s a common scenario: You set yourself a big goal to work toward, like losing weight or learning a new language. The thought of actually achieving the goal is exciting, and you can’t wait until you’ve finally done it. So you create a plan and start working on it.

But there’s a problem: You can’t get into a flow. Some days, you hit all your targets, but others, you struggle to do anything. You’ll never reach your goal if you go on like this. To make progress, you need to build up momentum – and to do that, you need to take consistent and strategic steps. And it’s the same when you’re working on your best work project.

After completing your project, make time to recover, clean up, and learn from it.

After weeks or months of putting in the work, you’ll finally complete your best work project!

This is a moment of relief and pride. So, naturally, you should celebrate it – not only for your own sake, but for the friends, family, and members of your support pack who cheered you on and helped you out. They also deserve a chance to bask in your success, and you can create this by announcing your achievement or marking it with a dinner or gathering.

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What is Start Finishing about?

Start Finishing (2019) is a guide for turning your ideas into projects that you can push all the way to completion. It shares easy-to-follow steps and tips for selecting the right idea, making it feasible, and overcoming any challenges that you may encounter along the way.

Best quote from Start Finishing

Focus blocks fuel your best work. No or too few focus blocks equals no finished best work.

—Charlie Gilkey

Who should read Start Finishing?

Would-be entrepreneurs sitting on great ideas
Frustrated creatives who want to be more productive
People interested in improving their project management skills

About the Author

Charlie Gilkey is a philosopher, army veteran, and entrepreneur. His company, Productive Flourishing, is dedicated to helping creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders thrive in their work and personal lives. Gilkey is also the author of The Small Business Life Cycle and the host of the Productive Flourishing podcast.

Categories with Start Finishing

Personal Development Productivity

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