Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done

Charlie Gilkey Sounds True (SEP 24) Hardcover $24.95 (224pp) 978-1-68364-263-3

Charlie Gilkey’s Start Finishing addresses productivity problems and provides transformative solutions.

Most people are busy all day long, yet nothing ever seems to get done and no one seems fulfilled. In Start Finishing, productivity isn’t about getting a new planner or organizational system; instead, how people think about what they do has everything to do with fulfilling their goals.

This practical book shows how to map out projects from start to completion, preserving the intent of the work and keeping it from getting derailed. The map begins by listing the “chunks” of projects, sorting them into categories, and putting them into sequence, until everything is on a manageable schedule.

Step-by-step advice prevents the disconnect that occurs between big picture visions and the small tasks it takes to complete them. The book’s introspection will help with identifying and disarming negative self-talk, and inspirational anecdotes suggest that change is possible. Sidebars from Seth Godin, Joshua Becker, Susan Piver, and other creative and strategic thinkers are insightful.

Clear and positive tones make it easy to follow along and learn how to act upon the book’s ideas right away for fast results. The book has lots of energy and eschews hype, extremism, and prescriptive thinking in favor of strategies that are realistic, sustainable, and adaptable.

The book’s approach to productivity is relevant to any kind of project—across professional fields, hobbies, and personal development—but the book has an entrepreneurial business sensibility that will draw in creative problem solvers and mission-oriented professionals.

“Good work” isn’t about completing a task; it’s about fulfilling a dream, making the world better, and becoming who we want to be. Start Finishing lives up to its promise to help people get good work done.