Could Have, Would Have, Should Have

But I didn't. Someone once said, "Creativity is the instinct to produce." The only objective in starting something is to finish it. Too many people have trouble bringing an idea into reality.The greatest concept you've uncovered means nothing if you don't push it across the finish line.

Seth Godin once introduced the concept of what he called "The Lizard Brain." However indelicate the term, the process is real. "The Lizard Brain is hungry, scared and angry. The Lizard Brain will fight to the death and would rather run away. The Lizard Brain cares what everyone else thinks. The Lizard Brain is not merely a concept it's real, and living on top of your spinal column, always fighting for survival."

Of course survival does not equate to success. Every time we find ourselves following the manual instead of writing the manual, we forfeit our need to chase accomplishments and a higher order of fulfillment. Yet with the passage of time people are becoming less adventurous, some relaying on that lizard brain to keep them from falling off the high wire. Why is it some sales people put in years of training and field-work, only to leave without achieving the top rung? Or, a program director who lives in a large corporate environment believing he or she should just keep their head down, articulated through the words we've heard all too often: "I'm just trying to avoid getting whacked."

Godin's list for giving way to the lizard brain:

• Late is the first step to never.
• Procrastinate under the guise of searching for 'perfect.'
• Do excessive networking but mainly to increase your likeability.
• Start committees instead of taking action.
• Join committees instead of leading.
• Spend hours on obsessive data collection, only to use none of it.
• Start never-ending searches for "the next big thing" -- ignoring yesterday's great idea.

There are three states of being: not knowing, decisive action, and full completion. The point of getting things done is not to "finish" but to get other things done.

The only solution is to start today, starting now.