end – From the desk of Adam Thomas

How do we know if something is “complete?”

Is it when the page loads?

When we reach a certain number of words?

Maybe it’s when the sound stops?

Whatever you decide, come up with it before you “start.” Then give it a deadline. And if you really want accountability, tell a friend.

When we don’t set end goals, we end up falling prey to cognitive biases that try to protect our ego. We accomplish less because we keep moving the goal post. Our minds dance around failure, making excuses or don’t know how to say “good enough” so we can move on to better projects.

And if we don’t know, imagine what this does to our teams, who have to ask and answer all of those things in their heads without knowing much else.

How might you start with the end in mind, today?

Starting small delivers big value

This month began as a mystery to me. “Starting small” is a general term. I mean different things to different people. This month, I engaged with that generality and got some interesting conclusions.

First, however, is what I knew coming into the month:

Thinking “small” laid the groundwork for thinking big. (Mission-Task-Action framework)
“Starting Small” was a tool to combat overwhelm. (Starting Small Action Pack)

When preparing those ideas, I realized there were several aspects of “small” that which we have to deal. Things, like the small chunks of time that happen between meetings, the little mistakes that we ignore, and a little context all affect us.

These things change us in ways we don’t imagine, both for better and for worse. Taking the time to think about and prepare for these events don’t just make us feel better, but make us smarter for doing so.

We aren’t alone, nor are we robots. We get in our way. We don’t know everything.

But, through working on what we do, and taking things one day at a time, we can do great things. All it takes is patience, and the ability to breathe.

From there, much is possible. Two minutes is enough to start.

Books Read

Newsletter Links

July 03: Starting Small
July 10: The First Step – How Two Minutes Can Change Your Life
July 17: It’s Thick – Overwhelm and the Tricks on the Ego
July 24: The Social Trick – Temptations of the “Launch”
July 31: Cashing Out – Why Experimentation is Cheaper than you Think