The 12 Commandments of Done

The philosophy behind Agile, Lean and Kanban can go beyond business projects or products to actually inspire our life, our dreams, and personal projects. Guided by this fact, and also by the writings of Bre Pettis and Kio Stark, I give you the 12 Commandments of Done, hoping they can inspire you to conquer your mountains:

1. Thou shall not procrastinate. Today you shall start, tomorrow may never come. Today is your present.
2. Thou shall focus. Distraction is the way to failure; only concentrated effort leads to results. Like water can be harnessed to cut metal, so can your mind be concentrated to achieve the impossible.
3. Thou shall have a vision. Every large effort requires a dream, an inspiration to go higher, without that clear vision we lose hope. Remind yourself of that vision, and have faith you will achieve it.
4. Thou shall not waste your efforts. Remember activity, just doing something does not mean progress. First find out what is the wise way to make progress, never walk blind, understand reality, and never punch the air.
5. Thou shall stop analyzing and do things instead. Planning has some value, especially when it paints a vision, and leads us in our walk. But never allow analysis to become a never-ending quest that leads you to paralysis.
6. Thou shall recognize that the path is found while you walk forward. One cannot see the future, without walking towards it. Therefore, start walking, and notice the road ahead.
7. Thou must rest, and follow the rule of 8s. Remember you are a fragile human being, without rest your health, and your mind are doomed. 8 hours for work, 8 hours for your life and chores, and 8 hours for sleep. And give yourself one day of real rest each week. You can bend this commandment, but you will always pay a price for doing so.
8. Thou shall have smaller achievable objectives on your way to your big dream. Nothing frustrates more than never seeing the end of a tunnel. Therefore, make sure your plans lead to small victories along the way.
9. Thou shall never lose heart. Without enthusiasm, with no love for what you do, nothing worthwhile can ever be achieved. Protect your heart, make sure you enjoy the work.
10. Thou shall ask for help when needed, and be generous with those who bless you. All worthwhile efforts need more than one person, carefully find those kindred souls and be grateful for their help.
11. Thou shall learn from your mistakes. Remember there is no failure, when we learn even failure help us to progress toward the goal. True failure is abandoning your dreams, and doing nothing. Be a winner, do something, and keep doing it, victory shall come!
12. Finally thou shall recognize that the highest inspiration comes from above, and not from inside or even around you. For that reason, honor God in your life. Live your life to do good, and make this world a better place.

Image Credit Eduardo Astu – Pico de la Hoya, Spain.