Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas

Praise for Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single . . . book! And this is it. A delightful and spirited defense of the notion that doing is more important than being done.” —Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; author of the New York Times bestseller Stumbling on Happiness; host of the PBS television series This Emotional Life

“Start More Than You Can Finish shows that being an entrepreneur is something that anyone can do--every individual can move from ideas to action, and thus improve their lives and the lives of others around them. Anyone who has thought about starting their own thing should read this book, but so should leaders, educators, and policymakers who want to understand the entrepreneurial mindset.” —Victor W. Hwang, founder and CEO, Right to Start; coauthor of The Rainforest: The Secret to Building the Next Silicon Valley?

“In the same voice of caring, supportive nurturing that made Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone delightful nuggets of chocolate-covered carrots, this book is candy for the soul and nutrition for the mind. A full-meal read that keeps you wanting just one more bite . . . until you’re full of creative sparks. Yum!” —Barbara C. Unell, bestselling author of Discipline with Love Limits; founder, Raised with Love and Limits Foundation

“Start More Than You Can Finish is a fresh, fun rallying cry, directing us to be the courageous, curious creators we were meant to be. Becky Blades shows us how our family of stARTists can start more, finish better, and power up the creative process. It confirms that the stARTist’s life is the only life for me!” —Diana Kander, entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author of All In Start Up and The Curiosity Muscle

“The message is clear: The power is in the ignition. Start More Than You Can Finish unpacks inspiring truth about creating.” —Jason Kander, author of Outside the Wire and Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD

“Becky Blades is a creative force with the answers to all your excuses. I do whatever she tells me to do, and you should, too. Start More Than You Can Finish will have you starting things that scare you and wondering what took you so long.” —Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat and MidLife Bites?

“Becky Blades, author of the perky, popular advice book Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone, has done it again with Start More Than You Can Finish. Her fresh, potent advice: Let’s help our young people become unstoppable by showing them how to start—honoring their ideas and initiative . . . reframing their focus on finishing . . . and trusting the creative process.” —Lisa Heffernan, New York Times bestselling author of Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success; coauthor of Grown Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults; and cofounder of Grown Flown

“We all reach turning points in life where we feel called to begin anew, to reinvent ourselves for the next stage. Start More Than You Can Finish gives us a permission slip to seize these moments joyfully, fearlessly.” —Mary Dell Harrington, coauthor of Grown Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults, and cofounder of Grown Flown 

“A buoyant guide to beginning things—and a liberating reminder that they don’t all need to get done. If you’ve ever hesitated to launch an idea or a project, this book could be the fuel you need.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

“Every hit you can name likely started as something much different. Start More Than You Can Finish is your key to discovering that life-changing thing you were meant to do.” —John Jantsch, bestselling author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Ultimate Marketing Engine, and The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

“Start More Than You Can Finish reveals a surprisingly productive mindset: No matter how uncertain we might be about the finish, we flourish by acting on our ideas right away and trusting the creative process. This book will inspire you to get started already!” —Scott Barry Kaufman, host of The Psychology Podcast; author of Transcend; founder, Center for Human Potential

“A joyous corrective to all the nay-saying voices in your life—and more importantly, the ones in your head. Becky Blades is your wise and funny guide through the rough terrain of creative work. If you’ve ever wanted a bit of cheerleading as you faced down your artistic bugbears, this is for you. It’s definitely for me!” —Emily Flake, humorist and cartoonist for the New Yorker, author of That Was Awkward and Mama Tried

“Writing books takes courage, but if you ask for help getting started, you can do almost anything. (Becky let me paint with a mop on a refrigerator box.)” —True Kander (age 8), coauthor of Courage Is . . .

“Almost anybody interested in getting more done will find great ideas here. Simply the most important new book on productivity I have seen.” —Henry DeVries, Forbes.com columnist and coauthor of How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett

“Not only does Becky give permission to start more than you can finish, she encourages the practice—and effectively obliterates the freeze state that prevents many people from doing what they want to do.” —Britt Frank, Psychotherapist, MSW, LSCSW, SEP; author of The Science of Stuck

“In this practical and delightful book, Becky Blades shows all of us how to start on whatever blank page life presents.” —Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life; host of The Victoria Moran Podcast

“Wake up, my fellow idea hoarders! It's time to open the gates. Start More Than You Can Finish offers the perfect blend of encouragement and actionable advice to finally stop overthinking and actually start carrying out all your brilliant plans. In her ode to generalists everywhere, Becky Blades will convince you that you have enough—actually, much more than enough—to begin.” —Kara Cutruzzula, author of Do It Today and Do It For Yourself

“Starting anything is hard, especially if you’re doing it on your own….That’s why I knew I wanted to interview author and entrepreneur Becky Blades about her new book Start More Than You Can Finish: A Creative Permission Slip to Unleash Your Best Ideas. It’s all about dispelling the myth that only starving artists and mad geniuses can be creative. Anyone can be creative. Anyone can put amazing, original work out into the world. Even you. Even me.”

—Michael Kovnat, Next Big Idea Daily

“Wake up, my fellow idea hoarders! It's time to open the gates. Start More Than You Can Finish offers the perfect blend of encouragement and actionable advice to finally stop overthinking and actually start carrying out all your brilliant plans. In her ode to generalists everywhere, Becky Blades will convince you that you have enough—actually, much more than enough—to begin.”
—Kara Cutruzzula, author of Do It Today and Do It For Yourself

A Next Big Idea Club nominee.