Crown publishing was kind enough to send us a copy of Timothy Ferriss’ “The 4-Hour Workweek” and I’ve been devouring it anxiously since.  Although I’m only 1/3 of the way through (and plan a full featured review on completion), one suggestion under the “Low Information Diet” section struck me as both so important and so simple to implement I wanted to share it now.

Practice the art of nonfinishing

This is another one that took me a long time to learn.  Starting something doesn’t automatically justify finishing it.

If you are reading an article that sucks, put it down and don’t pick it back up.  If you go to a movie and it’s worse than The Matrix Revolutions, get the hell out of there before more neurons die.  If you’re full after half a plate of ribs, put the damn fork down and don’t order dessert.

More is not better, and stopping something is often 10 times better than finishing it.  Develop the habit of nonfinishing that which is boring and unproductive if the boss isn’t demanding it. 

I for one have wasted far more time than I’d like to admit on books that lost my interest after a 100 pages, and articles that were 4 paragraphs too long to begin with.  I’m starting this ‘art of nonfinishing’ today.

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