Careers have the power to make you happy or miserable. Why is that? Part of the answer is we often find our identity more in what we do than in who we are. In the middle of a project, some can’t seem to focus. They don’t complete much and generally get little done. There are others whose modus operandi is procrastination. They have great difficulty in finishing the assignment. Procrastination will also prevent some from starting new endeavors.
Kevin Kelly authored Excellent Advice for Living. In it, he provides landmark advice on how to overcome procrastination and lack of focus. He suggests separating creating from improving. He cites several extraordinary works of literature. Many have been refashioned and modified many times over before the finished work. The same is true in the areas of music and cinema.
For me, the “takeaway” is simple. Just begin! Don’t be so critical in your first attempt that it paralyzes you from finishing it. Accept the flaws and defects of the first draft and then polish it until it is perfect.