Finish What Matters

You'd like to be a Raphael who gets things done. But many of us are Leonardos, who start project after project and never finish anything. The ideas that ignite our curiosity matter to us deeply, yet we can never seem to make them count.

We think we need more discipline, motivating pep talks, or a personality transplant. But we struggle to follow through on creative projects because the goals are unclear, the rewards uncertain, and the potential for failure personal. The day-to-day world lays out steps and dangles rewards. So it shouldn't be a surprise that when we take on creative projects – writing a novel, coding an app, or even advocating for our own ideas at work – there always seems to be something more pressing.

In this final book of his trilogy on creative work, David Kadavy proposes that the way forward is to balance two ways of thinking: the Leonardo, the source of your purest motivation and most innovative ideas; and the Raphael, who prepares your work for the world so you can earn the privilege of doing it again.

Come away with a flexible mental framework for balancing exploration with execution, risk with reward, and fear with courage. Don't blindly push yourself to see every idea through. Finish what matters.