Why don’t people finish goals that are important them?

There are probably many answers to that question, but an obvious reason is that they simply get tired and don’t see a lot of discernible progress toward the goal. Take writing a book, for example. If you tend to be a perfectionist, writing a book can take a very long time because you’re trying to both write and edit as you go. It’s easy to get discouraged and just quit.

I know because it’s happened to me. Once I spent a couple of years working on a book, compiled literally 150 pages of notes . . . yet never finished the book. It’s very easy to do when you’re trying to make it perfect.

Instead, we should take John Steinbeck’s advice about first drafts. He said, “Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on.”

Once you have outlined your book, try to get the first draft done as fast as possible. This will give you incredible momentum because it’s easier to work on a book that is complete. You will have a sense of accomplishment and motivation because you have something whole you can work with, and you can see the big picture of the book.

Daily Question: Thinking about your current book project, how fast could you get it done if you really pushed yourself?