Why Isn't the Book Ready?

Colleagues,
 
Does your “top” priority seem to keep getting pushed to the bottom?
 
Do you have a big goal for accomplishing something during a summer vacation?
 
This week, we’ll look at why we struggle to complete big projects by figuring out why my book remains incomplete.
 
In January I set a goal of finishing the book by June 22. This afternoon I have a “presentation” at i3, the annual conference for South Carolina school administrators and I wanted the book to be a deluxe business card. 
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When I set the goal, the book was already outlined with about 12,000 of a projected 24,000 words completed. In March I began writing a 300-word daily email and from April onward the daily email has been focused on the book themes. Three hundred words times 40 days equals 12,000 words. In March, my travel and number of coaching calls decreased significantly.
 
Despite all of this, no book.
 
Here is what I did instead:

• Developed and ran the 2020 leadership growth course
• Developed a training and video series on developing people
• Wrote a week of emails with corresponding videos on leading from home 
• Began a daily email
• Reorganized the book
• Rewrote the first two chapters 
• Took a course on podcasting

 
These are all good, but none were my top priority. 
 
So, why isn’t the book finished?
 
The answers lie in the Eisenhower Matrix (important versus urgent) and in the four principles of leverage (A-B, 0>1, MVP, M=V/E).
 
We’ll continue to unpack this tomorrow. By working through this process publicly I hope that:

1. It will help you to focus on your big project
2. It will help me finfish the book!

 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick