Today’s concept was something I picked up from Ethan Mollick’s substack. Vibeworking, focused primarily on coding, is about using AI to help brainstorm ideas and solutions for a project you want to complete. You give some initial information and prompts to the service of your choice and iterate back and forth until you have a workable product. It’s useful for you to know a bit of coding (or a bit about whatever you’re brainstorming). It’s more like working with a junior colleague as opposed to directing an employee. And it’s a good way to bump a project closer to finished. How might you take advantage of vibeworking to move your work along the path? Please let us know in the comments below. If you’d like more support in finishing projects, find me on https://thefinisher.org/ for one on one assistance!

Today was a long day of re-integrating back into ‘regular’ life, and I have a to do list that’s still a mile long at ten p.m. The last thing I want to do right now is a blog post…but post I must. Or at least ought. How can I motivate myself to do so? Pick a two-minute topic. The root of this tip is, when you’re feeling unmotivated, pick something you can do in two minutes to move your project closer to done, and do it. The goal is to shift you back into action instead of wallowing in the stress. Momentum can build from there, but the important thing is that first push out of inertia. What’s your two-minute win today? Please let us know in the comments below.If you’d like more support in finishing projects, find me on https://thefinisher.org/ for one on one assistance!

Today I read an interesting piece from the New Yorker by Joshua Rothman entitled “Why Can’t You Just Deal With It?” In it he explores the many barriers we face when moving forward on our most complex projects. Despite knowing that we can and should take steps forward, the problems feel too oppressive to even begin. Commonly there’s a ‘sticking point’ that seems to be at the edge of our physical, intellectual or emotional capacities. Sometimes, we’re taking too broad a perspective that doesn’t allow us to find the one path to get us forward, a sort of decision paralysis. Ultimately, the author says that in order to move forward on our stickiest of stuck projects, we need to really get to know the problem deeply, know its nuances and details to the point where you have “almost a love of the problem.” He offers a few hints and tips, some of which I’ll talk about in future posts, but the one that I am thinking about the most is how to break out of what he calls the ‘affective spiral’ where you can’t deal with a situation because of how it’s making you feel bad, but then you feel bad because you’re not dealing with it. He suggests imagining that you’re telling your future self the story of how you figured it all out and got it done, and how you overcame your feelings to take action. He points out that feelings fade, but whatever you build will persist into the future. Frankly, I’m not sure the guy in this drawing is dealing with it as opposed to walking all over it and throwing things, but whatever works! Do you have any tips for dealing with it? Please let us know in the comments below. If you’d like more support in finishing projects, find me on https://thefinisher.org/ for one on one assistance!

How you start your day is vital to setting the stage for completing projects. This will probably be a series of posts because there’s a lot we could say about how to start your work day, but I’ll begin with the beginning, and that is to create some sort of start of day ritual if you haven’t already (pro tip—you probably already have, and it may need some tinkering). While it may sound magical or quasi-religious, what I mean by ritual is some sort of practice that helps you transition into a headspace where you’re able to focus well on what you need to do, and are well-equipped to launch into work. Some components could include meditation or some other sort of intention-setting like drafting a list of three top priorities for the day; reading, writing or thinking about your big picture goals and desires for your work; getting outside in natural light, working out, or some sort of circadian rhythm setting to help calm your body; journaling or getting some initial thoughts down and out of your head so you can focus more deeply on priorities; and setting your workplace up for comfort and productivity with a clean quiet space, necessary tools, and appropriate beverage selection. Having such a ritual helps quiet your mind, get you started on a productive and focused path, and sets up an environment that is comfortable and minimally distracting. What sort of start of work rituals do you currently have? Where do you see space for improvement? Please let us know in the comments below or or join us in the Finisher Skool community. If you’d like more support in finishing projects, find me on https://thefinisher.org/ for one on one assistance!

In all our projects, there’s always going to be a task or a part of a task we don’t want to do. Many people hate public speaking. Some hate talking on the phone. Some would rather die than sit down and write out a report, or balance a budget. This past weekend I had a very fun project come to completion, with the usual bumps in the road. However, even though it was fun overall and a pleasure to plan and execute, there was one particular part that was absolutely horrible and dreadful, and it almost made me give up on something I loved just to avoid dealing with it. What do you do when you really, really, REALLY want to avoid something involved in completing the project? For me, these are some things that helped: - Remember the big picture. What’s the final finished project going to accomplish? For me, it was a birthday party for a family member I love and want to honor. Knowing that my work was going toward that very important goal made the dreadful bit seem more survivable. - Think about the absolute worst case scenario. Get as ridiculous as you can. In my case, once I thought about it, I knew it was unlikely that anyone would get shot and the house burnt down in a fit of anger as all the guests fled. This made my concerns seem far more boring. - Confide your fears in someone who can lend support. I have a therapist who I do this with often as well as a group of friends. I definitely recommend the professional route if you know you have some serious longstanding impediments to completing projects. A therapist can both lend support AND keep you accountable as you develop better ways of getting things done. And unlike a friend, they’re paid to listen to you complain about something as often as you need to! Do you have any additional tips for facing a part of a project that you really deeply dread? Feel welcome to contribute to the comments below. If you’d like more support in finishing projects, find me on https://thefinisher.org/ for one on one assistance!