← Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement18 Aug · 34 min

Master Finishing Things - Psychology vs Productivity, Perfectionism & Creative Constipation

Master Finishing Things - Psychology vs Productivity, Perfectionism & Creative Constipation18 Aug34 min

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Productivity gurus insist we must engineer ourselves into completion machines. This is nonsense, rather like insisting everyone should enjoy opera.

The truth, as behavioral psychology reveals, is delightfully simple: we finish what we're motivated and able to do. Everything else is self-sabotage mistaken for ambition. Perfectionism, is a whole side mission that gets in the way of anything causing creative constipation.

We can start working smarter by abandoning the unrewarding, delegating the tedious, and valuing time so highly that saying no becomes second nature.

Identify what you reliably finish and do more of that

Remove non-essential blockers that make tasks harder than needed

Treat big ideas as stepping stones, not precious monuments

Learn to let go of the big ideas that hold you back and start doing more things that you will actually finish.