Forget the Finish Line

Deadlines are important and are a great way for us to motivate ourselves to get things done. However they can also distract us from doing quality work. When our eyes are on the finish line it is easy to lose track of where we are in the race.

When you are working on a project do you see each individual step as something important to get done or something important in and of themselves? If the tasks that make up a goal or project are just stepping stones to the end we will not put the effort in to them that they may require. Let's imagine that we are building a pyramid from scratch. We cut the stone, shape the bricks and hall them in to place. We could approach it in two ways: we could rush through the stone cutting and shaping and slap together a pyramid or we could make sure each brick is well formed and perfectly square then build the pyramid. From a distance these two pyramids would look quite a bit alike but as we draw closer we will begin to see how slip shod and uneven the first one is.

By forgetting the finish line it becomes easier to focus on the element of the goal at hand rather then worrying about the entire project. If we are able to focus on each individual task then the project will take care of its self. IF the breacks are made level the pyramid will be as beautiful from ten feet as it is from one thousand feet.

Editing project: personal compass: part 1 values