The Art of Manliness

#573: Why You Don't Finish What You Start (And What to Do About It)

Jan 6, 2020

Charlie Gilkey, a former Army officer and PhD in philosophy, shares his expertise on productivity. He delves into common roadblocks like prioritization issues and mental clutter that prevent project completion. The conversation highlights the importance of confronting 'head trash' and overcoming 'thrashing' behaviors. Gilkey also discusses effective goal-setting with the SMART framework, the concept of momentum planning, and how community support can bolster personal achievements. Tune in for practical insights on getting things done!

49:35

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Episode guests

Charlie Gilkey

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Quick takeaways

Prioritizing and aligning projects with personal goals and values is crucial to avoid being pulled in different directions and increase project completion rates.

Challenging and overcoming self-defeating stories and negative beliefs, also known as head trash, is essential for moving forward and achieving project goals.

Effective team alignment and communication are vital for project success, as involving others and building a support system can lead to more successful outcomes and create a powerful force for change.

Deep dives

Identifying competing priorities

One common roadblock that prevents people from completing their projects is having competing priorities. These can be their own priorities or priorities imposed by others. Many people struggle to distinguish between their own priorities and those of others. It's important to prioritize and align projects with personal goals and values to avoid being pulled in different directions.

The Five Projects Rule

01:20

How to Pull Your Load Down

01:20

Intro

4min

Navigating Competing Priorities

21min

Unlocking Success: Effective Goal-Setting Strategies

4min

Achievable Goals and Community Support

5min

Harnessing Momentum Planning for Productivity

14min

Wrapping Up with Productivity Insights and Resources

2min

How well did you do in completing projects last year? Not just work projects, but also personal projects surrounding family, fitness, or hobbies. If you didn't accomplish as much as you'd like, then maybe you need to change up your mindset and tactics in the new year.

My guest today has written a guide to making those changes. His name is Charlie Gilkey and he's a former Army officer with a PhD in philosophy who's spent over a decade studying productivity, writing about it on his website Productive Flourishing, and coaching clients in what he's learned. He now has a book out as well: Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done. Charlie and I begin our conversation going through the most common roadblocks that prevent people from completing their projects, including following other people's priorities and dealing with what he calls "head trash." We then discuss how we waste a lot of time doing what Charlie calls "thrashing' and what we can do to overcome it. We then dig into why you sometimes have to quit things to move forward, how to create effective goals, and why it's crucial to know which of three levels of success you're aiming for. We also talk about how to do what Charlie calls "momentum planning" and the importance of creating focus blocks in your schedule.

Get the show notes at aom.is/startfinishing.

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The Art of Manliness

#573: Why You Don't Finish What You Start (And What to Do About It)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Identifying competing priorities

Overcoming head trash

Importance of a clear team alignment

Setting realistic and meaningful goals

Implementing momentum planning

The Five Projects Rule

How to Pull Your Load Down

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts