Back in 2009, a new Internet Cult was born, apparently out of this blog post. It’s called the “Cult of Done.” I sometimes wonder if a good Jewish girl like me is allowed to be a member of this non-denominational non-anything, but its manifesto (copied below) resonates deeply with my working style.
Of course, I make a lousy cult member because I don’t swallow anything whole. That’s why the points I don’t agree with are surrounded by [square brackets] and my own commentary is in italics. My four favorite points are bolded.
The “Cult of Done” Manifesto
- There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion. – You have to contemplate this one a bit to get it. I recommend you do.
- Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done. – Agreed.
- [There is no editing stage.] – As a writer, I don’t buy this one. Editing is where the real magic happens for me
- Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it. – Secret wisdom of adulthood. Women especially should take note. Cross-reference the Impostor Syndrome.
- Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it. – Usually true, but there are some ideas that need brew for years until they are ready to be born.
- [The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.] – Errr… this one doesn’t resonate with me at all.
- Once you’re done you can throw it away. – Yep.
- Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done. – It took me a long time to be able to laugh at my need for perfection. I definitely get a lot more done these days – and laugh a lot more.
- People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right. – Anyone who has ever been active for the benefit of the community will recognize the sublime truth in this one
- Failure counts as done. So do mistakes. – YES! If you can get this, you will go far in life.
- [Destruction is a variant of done.] – Not sure what this means. Anyone have any ideas?
- If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done. – True. For example, this blog is a haunted house of done-ness.
- [Done is the engine of more.] – I don’t really connect with this one either. But who says you always have to end with a bang?
Wanna join?
This post is officially DONE.
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This article is part of my Joy of Done blog series.
Mordechai says
“Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing” – Ha Ha, almost is the key. what if you get caught pretending? 🙂
Naomi says
We’re all pretending.
Debbie says
I’m not sure why #6 doesn’t resonate with you. For me, it is another way of saying that “Perfect is the enemy of the good.” When it’s good enough, you’re done. Move on and get other things done.
I think #10 and #11 are similar. Alternatively, picture your child building a huge lego tower and then coming with some makeshift battering ram and destroying it. He’s done. (And, well, you might be left to clean up the mess).
Maybe that’s what happens when you’re computer crashes on your latest blog post before you hit . Destroyed. You’re done. Next.
Not sure I’m joining. But I’m done.
Naomi says
I like your peirush on #11, Debbie. It makes a lot of sense.
Personally, I don’t want to go so far as say that I do just for the sake of doing, and not for some higher purpose. That’s why #6 bothers me.
Debbie says
Re: #6 – We’re not churning water. We don’t do for the sake of doing. Or build pyramids so the Egyptians can knock them down and have us start all over again.
We do so that we can make a difference. And when it’s “good enough” we move on. A blog post that is 80% good today is better than waiting for that elusive perfection and never publishing.
Shimshon says
Dan Kenedy relates in one of his books (and probably elsewhere) a story where one of his colleagues explained to him as follows (paraphrased):
“If you don’t have enough money in your bank account, it is probably because you have too many items ‘in progress’ and not enough of them ‘done’.
Only DONE pays the bills.”
Naomi says
Only done pays the bills – I love it.
thanks!
Judy Montel says
Love, love, LOVE #10 – truly, Failure counts as Done!! Do Mistakes!! yes. Let’s get a gang of cheerleaders on that one!! 🙂