The Drive to Completion

[AMandM]

I recently read a Cal Newport article claiming that the most significant difference between high achievers and low achievers is not hours of work, or planning strategy, or time management, but what he called the drive to completion--the focus not just on doing something productive, but on finishing the task.  I am trying to adopt this mindset and am finding it quite helpful. 

Crossing things off the to-do list *for good* is so satisfying!  To help goad myself, I'll post the tasks I plan to complete this week, and I'll post again to publicly rejoice or blush.  Want to join me?

[AMandM]

This week (i.e. by bedtime Sunday February 26) I will finish the following tasks:

1- Order an Ooma and change our phone service to internet only.
2- File my state taxes. (Fed is done.)
3- Complete and send in the application for a state grant to add insulation to our house.
4- Deposit the pile of checks tucked into my datebook.
5- Drop a box of donations at the home improvement recycling store.

[eyePod]

This is a neat idea!

I do have a question on #2 and 4 for you... Do you use electronic tax software and banking? I take photos of checks and that's it. Money is in my bank account. And taxes were similar - all through the same software.

Either way - this is a great.

I too often get hung up on the how instead of just doing. It's like when you look at some creator's finished work and assume that it's all OK on the way to creation. In reality, it's incremental improvements just like everything else in life!

[AMandM]

#2--We e-file the federal return, but because there's a suffix on my husband's name, we cannot e-file our state return.  Crazy, huh?

#4--I can't do electronic deposits because I don't have a smartphone. It wasn't a big deal until recently, when three of my kids and I all picked up gigs for which we get paid by check. I have to figure out a way to make a trip to the bank part of my weekly routine.

[PJ]

Hey, AMandM, just got around to reading this thread.

I have to admit, that "finishing what I've started" is not my strong point.  I like to say that I'm "an ideas person."  ;-)

I probably should join you in the thread, but not going to right now, though you've certainly given me something to think about with that citation about the drive to completion being such a relevant indicator of success.

Anyway, happy to cheer you on though - how's the progress on your list?

[eyePod]

#2--We e-file the federal return, but because there's a suffix on my husband's name, we cannot e-file our state return.  Crazy, huh?

#4--I can't do electronic deposits because I don't have a smartphone. It wasn't a big deal until recently, when three of my kids and I all picked up gigs for which we get paid by check. I have to figure out a way to make a trip to the bank part of my weekly routine.

You could buy a super cheap phone/tablet and only use it on WiFi! I bet it would pay for itself pretty quickly.

And that suffix thing is crazy! Guess that's a good reason to not have my next child named after me.

[smilla]

I recently read a Cal Newport article claiming that the most significant difference between high achievers and low achievers is not hours of work, or planning strategy, or time management, but what he called the drive to completion--the focus not just on doing something productive, but on finishing the task.  I am trying to adopt this mindset and am finding it quite helpful. 

Crossing things off the to-do list *for good* is so satisfying!  To help goad myself, I'll post the tasks I plan to complete this week, and I'll post again to publicly rejoice or blush.  Want to join me?

This is possibly my biggest stress-inducing problem. I manage to complete the most important and urgent parts of a project and when all that's left is review, tidying up the final details, closing the file, it sits and sits and sits. I won't put it away incomplete so my office gets more and more cluttered.

This week I have 3 projects due so my goal will be to also get them closed and off my desk. As these projects are each for repeat clients, I will aim to close some of their older files

1 t current & prior
2 w current & prior
3 g current & prior

Could you please link the article AMandM?

[stoaX]

Posting to follow.  I'm not bad at completing my tasks but I think I could do better.