Our teachers and parents told us to finish what we started. They said we would never realize our full potential if we leave things undone, or we were making things harder on ourselves because we’ll have to finish it later.

Do it now and get it over with, they said. Touch things once. Leaving things undone is stressful and distracting.

Yes, but what if we don’t want to finish?

You don’t have to finish reading a book you’re not enjoying. You can abandon projects that aren’t going anywhere. You can end relationships that don’t serve you.

In fact, I think our default setting should be to NOT finish what we start.

Make the project or person prove themselves to us.

If that book doesn’t grab you after one or two chapters, off with it’s head. If you have a friend who is always negative, maybe it’s time to end the relationship.

Not finishing things gives you more time to do other things.

So, let go of that hobby you no longer enjoy. You’ll have time to find a new one. Let go of the client who makes your life difficult. You’ll make room for others.

But here’s the thing.

When you let go, you really have to let go.

Burn your ships. Destroy your notes. Tell yourself you’re truly done and you’re not going back.

Because if you don’t, your subconscious mind will nag you and remind you that you have unfinished business. It’s called the Zeigarnik effect.

And yes, that voice in your head will probably sound like your mom telling you to finish your veggies.

How to get referrals from other lawyers

I read a round-up article that summed up what some young entrepreneurs do to start their day. Each has a different routine.

Some said they make a plan for the day. Some said they check their plan (and calendar) for the day.

Some read, some write. Some exercise, some check the news. Some check their email, some check their stats.

One interesting response: “I start every workday by writing three thank you notes.” Color me impressed.

I liked the one who said she follows the same checklist every day. She checks her calendar, reviews her project list, answers email, answers voicemail and texts, and clears her paper file. She says this allows her to process her inboxes and makes starting the day effortless.

One said she tackles her biggest priority first, “the one thing on my list that contributes the most to the bottom line.”

Similar to the previous response, one entrepreneur recommended the “Eat That Frog” approach: “Do whatever it is that you don’t want to do, but need to do most first thing in the morning”.

Another writer disagreed: “I’m not really a fan of the whole “Eat That Frog” concept. I start my day with three of the easiest tasks on my to-do list. This makes a little dent in my list right away, which makes me feel as though I’m on a roll. I always find that when this is the case, I burn through more tasks than I would when focusing on my biggest list items first”.

Me? I’m with the last guy. I don’t do my most important tasks first thing, I clear up a few easier tasks first, as a warm up for the day. Typically, that means checking email, calendar, and task list, to get a feel for what’s on tap for the day.

Once that’s out of the way, I sit down and do my MITs (Most Important Tasks).

But I don’t do any of that until I’ve had some coffee, do some light reading, and send articles and ideas to my Evernote inbox.

How about you? What do you do first?

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