Seriously though, an on-the-nail analysis of how so many of us get worn so thin by trying to juggle far too many marbles at once. When one of those marbles suddenly turns into a soccer ball, the rest are at risk to go flying to the pavement… but we paid so much to get those marbles so… we pick them up and juggle frantically.

Point taken. Want some marbles?

Thanks

A point to ponder: the reverse is also true - i.e. when there is no cost involved, it can be difficult to commit to a project. When you are aware of this psychological phenomenon, you can use it to your advantage.

For example, I have a software project that I have been working on in my spare time. Being the creative, curious type, I have a tendency to go off on tangents and explore different ideas which come to me constantly. This can be a good thing, but left unchecked it’s a problem because I would never get the product to a state where I felt comfortable launching. To combat this, I signed up for hosting and bought a domain name, then sat down and created a list of must-have features for a 1.0 version. Having a real, monthly cost associated with the project raised my level of commitment (and focus) to the project.

This is why honest self awareness and reflection, while difficult, can be one of your biggest strengths in business (and life).