Simple Productivity Task Of The Day: Give Up

by Randy Murray on December 9, 2010

When a project or task seems impossible one of the most effective methods of moving forward is to give up.

This is not some Zen precept. It’s a practical approach.

If your project is completely stuck, it’s likely that you are approaching it in the wrong way. A mountain cannot be climbed from all approaches. Sometimes the wise path is to stop trying to force your way to completion, to give up.

Giving up on a particular effort doesn’t mean to give up on the goal. It only means that you may need new tactics, a different approach. You probably need to learn more and rethink how you’ve planned this project.

For today, look at those projects and tasks that have you completely frustrated. Pick one and raise the white flag. Announce your surrender. Cry uncle. Walk away.

But then, when no one’s looking, consider your goal once again. Is it still something you want? If so, quietly put it back on your to-do list, but start with a fresh plan and approach.

The Simple Productivity Task Of The Day: Give Up by Randy Murray, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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