There are plenty of projects that I did not finish but started. Many things that I started with excitement but couldn’t ever complete or accomplish the target I was aiming for. It’s either something that I found difficult to continue, boring, not necessary to finish. But I think this stuff compounded somewhere.
A writer would write thousands of pages of drafted ideas before he/she releases a 450 page book. Most of the time the first drafted elements doesn’t even make it to the final draft and its completely new compared to the first one. Does that mean it was a waste for him/her to write the first draft or WRITE in the first place? I don’t think so.
I think the more work you do on a particular topic, nevertheless the use, contributes to the final product or outcome and polishes it. A video editor wouldn’t learn great editing at first shot. He has to make terrible mistakes and crappy edits at first to know what’s working and what’s not. And its not just about the skill you have for a particular domain, its about what you know and only you know that could make something that is generated from the same source DIFFERENT. We call it experience.
This is what separates a newbie from a professional, a armature from an expert and naive from wisdom. But I’ve also noticed its a part of self overestimation too. You might relate to not finishing a challenge very close to the finish line. When you worked so hard for something but gave up at the last moment when the probability was all time high for the results you were expecting. For instance, you might start a 100 day daily walking challenge and at day 90 you’d give up. Telling yourself “If can do 90 days I can easily do 10 more so why bother proving, I KNOW I CAN DO IT SO LET”S NOT DO IT”. You get eaten alive by your pride.
With this piece of information, I’ve decided to try to over deliver. Complete any challenge by doing more than what is expected. And this can only be achieved if we practice, write, do, perform, commit, provide etc. on consistent basis even if it doesn’t contribute directly to the final outcome, because indirectly, it always does.
Artwork: https://dribbble.com/shots/9020305-Gant-Bernard-working-late
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