“Although we avoid deadlines early in the process, in the Completion phase, a due date could help bring time into focus and support you in completing the work. Art doesn’t get made on the clock. But it can get finished on the clock…Each new project is another opportunity to communicate what’s coming through you. It’s another chance at bat. Another opportunity to connect. Another page filled in the diary of your life.” -Rick Rubin, The Creative Act
Whether it’s crossing an item off your to-do list, posting a blog entry, turning in a grant proposal or closing night of the play you produced, completing something feels good. Really good. (Closing nights always feel really sad too.)
Doing hard things won’t make the next hard thing any easier. But it will increase your capability and boost your confidence to attack the next hard thing that comes your way.
If you want more of the good completion vibes, then resolve to turn all your big goals into projects. Create a work plan. List all the steps you think are needed and break those steps down further into micro steps. Set arbitrary deadlines for each. Continuously update. And then take massive and consistent action.
One last thing…it might be helpful to know what a satisfactory completion of said project looks like. What a “C” looks like? Yes you want an A–we all do–and you’ll go all out to get the A, but life happens. Unexpected stuff comes up. If worse comes to worse, could you still live with a “C?” Is a “C” better than not doing the project at all? (Also, it’s not a “C” for effort and desire, it’s a “C” for how the project ended up as compared to your original expectations.) This completion mindset helps avert the resistance trap.
Alright, get going. We can’t wait to see what you complete!
The Vs. Studio Blog 