Do you have an abundance of ideas for potential projects? But never enough time to reach the finish line?

What holds you back? Is it really that there aren’t enough hours in the day? And what’s the cost of not finishing the projects that matter?

What if you could take steps today to act on your most essential ideas—and get closer to your vision for an excellent life?

Today, Jeffrey explores the idea of finishing our most important work with Charlie Gilkey, the Business Growth Strategist behind Productive Flourishing and author of Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done. Charlie shares his strategies for deciding what projects really matter, explaining how finishing important work bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to be. He also weighs in on the pursuit of self-mastery to embolden our courage, discussing actionable practices for expanding our comfort zone and making meaningful progress in the age of distraction. Listen in to understand how Charlie navigates unbidden surprises without abandoning his most important work and learn how to excel at finishing what matters.

Key Takeaways

[4:16] How Charlie’s young genius informs his work as a writer

• Use what’s available to get things done
• Joy in building and creating in community

[11:00] What pushed Charlie’s personal limits in writing Start Finishing

• Comparison to others (something valuable to say)
• Expand productivity to tie purpose with action

[17:16] Charlie’s take on living a life of excellence

• Start with self-mastery, channel resources in best way
• Inspire others to become best version of themselves

[22:45] Charlie’s advice for deciding what projects to pursue

• Heart-space to push forward (painful if left undone)
• Someone you know will benefit from undertaking

[3:08] Why courage is crucial in achieving our vision of an excellent life

• Allows us to claim space and bet on ourselves
• Expand comfort zone by working through fear

[45:03] Charlie’s top practices for self-mastery

• Reframe I am … to I feel …
• Move body to achieve calm
• Learn to ‘go back in’

[53:45] Charlie’s insight on technology and distractions

• Anchor device to specific task
• Limit entry points (no door, no distraction)

[59:38] How Charlie navigates unbidden surprises

• Treat situation as emergent project
• Reallocate in alignment with values

[1:12:28] How Charlie is celebrating the launch of his book

• Share success with friends and enjoy seat at table
• Finishing important work detangles ‘faulty wiring’

Connect with Charlie

Productive Flourishing

Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done by Charlie Gilkey

Resources

A Wondrous Mind

Dao De Jing by Laozi

“Self-Mastery” by Henrietta Cordelia Ray

Nilofer Merchant

Michele Woodward

Seth Godin

Sounds True

Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Duct Tape Marketing

The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business by John Jantsch