Dear younger me,
Stop being a starter and start being a finisher. Although starting is an important step, it will con you into never making an impact.
Once you become a finisher, then you can become someone who finishes well. And that’s how you will ultimately make the impact.
The Love of Starting
I know you love starting new things. You always will.
You will always be curious and love learning. You’ll be pretty good at understanding things quickly. You’ll look around at many things in the world, and think to yourself, “I might like to do that.”
But starting is a hobby, not a profession. Any amateur can make a start.
If you’re not careful, you’ll become the consummate amateur.
The Folly of Being a Perpetual Starter
“They” will talk about the risk of starting something new, and you’ll relish this “risk” because you’ll think it means you’re doing something meaningful. But this is folly because there’s no risk in starting because there’s no contribution.
The clean sheet of paper makes no demands, but is full of possibilities.
At the start, your cohort is in your corner, “Awesome! That sounds like a great idea!”
But the first customer, reader, or listener that signs on has done so because you finished it, not because you started it.
The Peril of Finishing
The risk is in finishing.
Finishing is perilous because you will be exposed to emotional danger. Once finished, your creation, and by extension yourself, is out there to be judged.
And the judgement will come, even if (especially if) the judgement is crickets.
Beware of Sexy Labels
Beware of the sexy labels that feed the story in your head. Labels such as “idea man” and “architect” and “big thinker.”
The labels aren’t liars, per se, but they will derail you from your purpose.
It’s not the big idea that makes the impression, it’s the implementation of the idea. An artist’s rendering of an electric car doesn’t make a difference. Grabbing the keys to the Tesla on the way out the door does.
Beware of Busy Work That Isn’t Finishing
Hitting save is not the same as hitting publish, even if it’s an important step.
Developing your sales script is not the same as making the ask, even if it’s an important step.
Forming your LLC and creating the logo is not the same as standing in the front of the room of potential customers, even if it’s an important step.
Creating the budget is not the same as signing the check, even if it’s an important step.
The Magic of Finishing
When you hit publish, or make the ask, or sign the check you cross a barrier and something magical happens.
God, or the universe, or the whole conspires with you and you learn something. You’ve just conducted an experiment that produces a data point. Now go create more data.
Finishing is an emotional choice. The choice to expose. The choice to grind past the excitement and into the unknown.
Starting is easy, finishing is hard.
Finishing is where your insecurities lie…
