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Don’t Start What You Can’t Finish (Properly)

Posted by Paul B | May 2, 2008 .

With a whole third of 2008 already passed by now is a good time to do some spring cleaning. A quick look at my white board shows no less than THIRTEEN projects that have been started but not yet finished. This is bad. On top of that there are the advertising networks that I’ve meant to implement but haven’t, the networks that I’ve only half implemented and those that I’ve been using that are no longer performing and need to be removed. This is all the stuff that in an ideal world I’d be doing on a continuous basis, unfortunately it’s not an ideal world and day to day I just don’t have the time. This is why I pick out several times a year to go back through what needs doing.

The one thing that always jumps out at me (and the one thing I always promise myself I’ll not do anymore) is this habit of starting a new project and then not finishing it. For my money this is one of the worst things that you can do. Putting the notion in your own head of needing a “change” can actually result in work that should only take a few days taking several weeks. Any work that you do that needs concentrated thought is best being done in 1 go, no matter how long it takes. To leave it alone for a few days and then try to go back to it results in you having to re-learn what you did, why you did it and concentrate again on how you’re going to finish it. The end result is plenty of unfinished projects. There have been ideas that I was always wetting myself with excitement when I first started them, I pulled out all the stops, broke the back of the hard work and then for some reason decided I needed a little change and never actually finished it. The initial buzz is gone and if I’m really ruthless I’ll resign 1 or 2 to the scrap pile.

As humans (admittedly some of us better looking than others) most of us are programmed to follow a path of least resistance. We’re always looking for the easiest job to work on rather than the finishing the more complicated bit of work. As a programmer I often find myself spending too much time tweaking the UI, it’s so much easier than actually getting my hands dirty with that new feature I promised people! If you want to make the most of making money online it’s a habit you’ll have to break. Think in terms of idea -> start project -> FINISH PROJECT -> next idea. Keep a production line like that going and some ideas will hit. Keep pumping out badly made, half finished websites and the chances of you ever making any real money online are slim.

You might have guessed already that I’m preaching here what I don’t cruelty practice. No efficient worker should have as many half done jobs that need finished as what I have. I suppose the truth is that as I’ve started to make more money I’ve also started to become a little lazy, it’s certainly not how I started off. This is as much a kick up my own ass as anybody elses who spends more time buying domain names that creating content. Now it’s time to make some money and get on with some work.

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4 Comments so far
  1. SEO Optimization ITALY Windows XP Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14  May 2, 2008 1:00 pm

    It is good to know I am not the only one that has a nice amount of non finished projects and another amount of ideas laying in the papers.

    It is sad and some times frustrating when I take a look at all the unfinished projects and all the ideas for which I can’t manage to find some free time and get them done.

    The bottom line is to hire someone and do some of my work, but being the kind of person that wants others to work just as I do…it will be hard to find someone.

    Next solution?…

    SEO Optimization’s last blog post..Webmasters Breathing PageRank

  2. Timon Weller of make money online ramblings AUSTRALIA Windows XP Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14  May 2, 2008 3:38 pm

    Yeah i agree…its always satisfying once you do finish it though…

    Timon Weller of make money online ramblings’s last blog post..Strategic Advertising for your website

  3. google web hosting review UNITED STATES Windows XP Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14  May 4, 2008 6:06 am

    but then it’s not as fun. i think there’s something to be said for some lack of structure and disarray. i think it brings out the creativity is us.

    google web hosting review’s last blog post..By: Web Hosting Plans

  4. Beth UNITED STATES Windows XP Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.14  May 5, 2008 4:17 pm

    Every week it seems as though I add more things to my To Do List than I cross off! It is good to stay busy and always have something to work on.