1.Unsustainable Effort

It took me a long time to realize why people struggle to finish what they start. Their effort is unsustainable. They don't pace themselves and bit off more than they can chew. So they burn out, give up, and quit.

As I said in my book, An Audience One, the internet is littered with digital graveyards of people who started a project in a brief moment of inspiration. If it's worth doing, it's going to take a bit of time. The paradox is that you'll get where you want to go faster by slowing down.

2. Biting off more Than They Can Chew

A creative endeavor like writing a book, starting a podcast, or building a company is a game of inches. The little things you do every day add up and eventually lead to accomplishing some of your biggest goals.

• Intensity is valuable at times. But consistency is powerful all of the time.
• If all you did was complete one task to move your project forward every day, you'd be 25 steps  closer to your goal than you are now.
• Some tasks will take more time than others.

Doing one thing every day is much more sustainable than trying to do everything in one day.

3. Visible Progress

Once you've achieved consistency, you tap into another variable that increases the power of creative momentum. You start to experience visible progress, which is a force multiplier.

The metrics you use to track your progress are essential. Most people measure their progress in relation to an outcome they can't control. So they believe they aren't making any.

If you expect your transformation from steak-eating Hindu to vegan hippie to take place overnight, then you'll feel like a failure until the transformation is complete. On the other hand, if you track your daily brussel sprout consumption, you'll experience visible progress.