Stop Starting. Start Finishing

 

We live in a culture of hustle, where we feel it necessary to say yes to every opportunity and fake it till we make it. Ambition is praised, and restraint is often mistaken for weakness.

The Panchatantra mentions this:

अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धिलक्षणम् । 

प्रारब्धस्यान्तगमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धिलक्षणम् ॥ 

Anārambho hi kāryāṇāṁ prathamaṁ buddhilakṣaṇam | 

Prārabdhasyāntagamanaṁ dvitīyaṁ buddhilakṣaṇam || 

Which means that, "Not blindly rushing into actions (without thorough analysis) is the first sign of intelligence. Taking a task that has been started all the way to completion is the second sign of intelligence."

The Subhashita (a well known saying) is very clear. Intelligence is not about how many fires you can start, it is knowing which fires you can sustain, and which you have the grit to finish.

Many of us have an intoxication with the ‘new’. Something new brings a rush of dopamine. The new is full of potential, and it hasn't failed yet. Most of us in this situation would be tempted to ‘figure it out as we go’. 

But this Subhashita gives a clear opposite idea. Wisdom begins with self honesty. Recognising that a project is outside your capacity is not a confession of defeat. It is a sign of high emotional intelligence and strategic maturity.

Saying ‘no’ to the wrong things is the only way to ensure that you can say a resounding ‘yes’ to all the right things. 

The second sign of wisdom is about the ‘Messy Middle’. Every project has this - this is the phase of the project, when the initial excitement has evaporated and road blocks appear, and most importantly, this is when boredom has set in.

This is when we need the grit to steer the project to its very end. 

Finishing a project requires consistency, problem-solving and accountability. Because anyone can have an idea, wisdom belongs to the people who execute, the one who actually brings the project to the end.

So stop measuring your worth by how busy you are. 

True wisdom is defined by the discipline of your choices in the beginning and your grit to bring the project to the very end.