In his book, Start Finishing: How to go from idea to done, Charlie Gilkey discusses how we can follow a nine-step method to convert an idea into a project and get the project done via a reality-based schedule.

These are some of my favorite concepts and takeaways from reading the book.

Chapter 10, Finish Strong

In this chapter, Charlie discusses how to conclude a project before jumping into the next project properly. He offers the following recommendations for us to think about:

• Run a victory lap after the project. It is an important social activity that can rejuvenate our supporters and us.
• Make the necessary space and time to transition between projects. The more project matters to us, the greater the need for downtime and transition time after finishing it.
• Give ourselves CAT time, and it will make the next project easier because we will not be fighting the messes of our last project.
  • Clean up: First, make sense of what is around us regarding environmental, digital, and social factors.
  • Archive: Organize our environmental and digital stuff and store them in a way that can be retrieved without too much effort.
  • Trash: Throw away or delete environmental or digital stuff we no longer need for our next project.
• After-action reviews (AARs) make every project a learning experience at the same time that they set you up for tremendous success in future projects. Ask ourselves:
  • What went well?
  • What setbacks, challenges, and missteps did we experience?
  • What did we learn?
  • What habits, practices, or routines do we want to keep doing going forward?
  • Were there any crucial difference-makers to the project that we should consider for our future projects?
• Finishing a best-work project can unlock new realities. When it comes to our best work, we start finishing before success and after success. That is all there is to it and all there can ever be. Days spent doing our work compound to create a thriving life.

In his book, Start Finishing: How to go from idea to done, Charlie Gilkey discusses how we can follow a nine-step method to convert an idea into a project and get the project done via a reality-based schedule.

These are some of my favorite concepts and takeaways from reading the book.

Chapter 9, Build Daily Momentum

In this chapter, Charlie discusses some tactics for building and maintaining momentum while we do our best work. He offers the following recommendations for us to think about:

• Celebrate the small wins as we move things forward. Celebrating small chunks of progress can enable us to celebrate big finishes when we get there.
• We should create habits and routines that make it easier to build and maintain momentum. Figure things out in advance can minimize decision fatigue and create more prolonged periods of flow.
• Leaving crumb trails for projects makes getting back into projects more enjoyable and efficient. First, we need to leave ourselves enough time at the end of a focus block to leave breadcrumbs. Second, we need to be honest with ourselves that the momentum we have at the end of a focus block will not be there when we get back to the task.
• We need to distinguish and minimize interruptions and distractions. Interruptions are external diversions that keep us from doing our best work, while distractions are internal diversions that we allow ourselves to experience.
• There are three ways that a project gets stuck:
  • A project cascade happens when a project falling behind makes other projects fall behind.
  • A project logjam happens when we have too many concurrent projects.
  • A tarpit happens when a stuck project gets more stuck the longer it stays stuck.
• The creative red zone is the last stretch of the project, where the closer we get to the finish line, the harder it is for us to cross the finish line. This feeling is the “Resistance” calling us. Here are some tactics for countering the “Resistance.”
  • Remind ourselves of the “why” of the project and double down on our effort to return to it.
  • Focus on getting the result good enough.
  • Remind ourselves that the more something matters, the better is it that we start finishing sooner.
  • Understand that toward the end; we are usually just working on our mindset.
  • Finally, do our work, then step away.

In his book, Start Finishing: How to go from idea to done, Charlie Gilkey discusses how we can follow a nine-step method to convert an idea into a project and get the project done via a reality-based schedule.

These are some of my favorite concepts and takeaways from reading the book.

Chapter 8, Weave Your Project into Your Schedule

In this chapter, Charlie discusses the techniques to integrate our environments with the daily requirements demanded by our best work. He offers the following recommendations for us to think about:

• Make sure our environment is working for us. Pay attention to these seven environmental factors and determine how they might affect us:
  • Sound
  • Smell
  • Sunlight
  • Clothing
  • Clutter/Organization
  • Amount of space
  • Music.
• Batching and stacking are two techniques that can improve our efficiency.
  • Batching work is the process of doing similar kinds of work in a contiguous period.
  • Stacking work is the process of doing different but compatible kinds of work at the same time.
• Keep the dread-to-work ratio down by dealing with the “Frogs.” Frogs are the tasks and chunks of projects that we do not want to do. However, we should consider addressing them early and often as necessary.
• Focus more on the “when” rather than the “what.” Decide upfront when it is best to do particular work and stick to the schedule/plan.
• First in priority doesn’t always mean first in the sequence. The key idea is to get to those high-priority tasks at the right time to complete the tasks in the most effective manner possible.
• Use the 5/10/15 split to build daily momentum. We use our five projects to create and update our daily plan for ten minutes before we start and fifteen minutes at the end of our day.
• Do not plan too far in advance. Doing so can create frustration and resignation because the further out we plan, the less likely our plan will be correct or practical.