Book Review: Start Finishing
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Starting projects can be relatively easy. I probably have at least five projects on the back burner right now, shoved into the metaphorical or physical closet. I’ve used several methodologies for project management, from as simple as an ongoing to-do list to as complex as Scrum, which is quite popular in the tech world. Not much stuck until I started reading and integrating ideas from Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey.
This book has a comprehensive system for breaking down projects into smaller chunks. It also offers memorable and useful language for cleanup, common places one might get stuck, the people who might support or hinder you in your work, and more. Sex bloggers are notorious for starting dozens of projects, then later facing overwhelm and abandoning ship. Isn’t it time you start finishing?
About Start Finishing
A vital idea Charlie introduces early on is the concept of your Best Work. Your Best Work is your calling, your vocation, and something only you can do. And if you don’t do your Best Work, the world will be lesser for it. I believe many sex bloggers feel this way about their blogs and other projects. Many of you share intimate, vulnerable experiences that help people grow past shame and learn to live a life filled with more pleasure. You’re best suited to share your own experiences. Even if something has been written before, it hasn’t been written from your unique perspective. If you’re here, you might feel sex blogging is your Best Work, but you’re not sure how to monetize something so personal. You might also feel that if this is your calling, why are you asking to get paid for it? Kayla has written wonderful resources on these topics and more that you can find here on The Smutlancers site.
Blocks May Change Your Blogging Life
Any tidbit from Start Finishing could provide you with value, but let me share a system that Charlie Gilkey introduces early on: Time Blocking. Luckily, much of the information about this method is used in a 2015 blog post from the author you can find here. You can start integrating this now before you buy the book. The idea of time blocking wasn’t new to me. But Charlie introduces time blocks with specific purposes, headspaces, and time constraints that vary based on what kind of work is to be done during that time.
For example, the most important block for sex bloggers is probably going to be the Focus Block, which is “…90–120 minute blocks of time where you’re especially creative, inspired, and able to do high-level work that requires focus.” Additionally, Charlie defines Admin Blocks, Social Blocks, and Recovery Blocks. The idea here is that each of these blocks has a specific purpose and mentality to it. Charlie explains how to work blocks into your calendar based on your energy level and ability to focus or connect with others. If I know exactly what time of day that I’m best primed for social connection, my calendar is only open at those times for that activity. This system alone provided me with more direction, in addition to setting boundaries with others.
Avoid Overwhelm While Reading the Book and Blogging
While Start Finishing is a very useful book, it’s jam-packed with information. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know how to start using the author’s advice. I purchased the physical copy of the book for several people, and all of them came back to me saying they got lost in Chapter 5. Please push through! I suggest reading the entire book before you attempt to put any of the advice to work.
Start Finishing provides vital project management and workflow advice that can be revolutionary to sex bloggers. The system of chunking, linking, and sequencing described in Chapter Five could itself change your work life. The advice in later chapters about dealing with our overwhelm can help calm the anxious sex blogger brain. I highly recommend Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey for any sex blogger working to find a path between where they are and creating their Best Work.
