Legendary musician, composer, and producer Quincy Jones died last week at the age of 91. Few artists have been as commercially successful or prolific as Jones during his more than seven decades of musical influence.
He won 28 Grammy Awards, a National Medal of Arts, and placed his fingerprints on music icons that included Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Lionel Hampton, and Dizzy Gillespie. His output as a writer and producer was nothing short of astounding.
So, what allowed Jones to become so productive? What made him so prolific? The answer is that he bucked a trend and made a commitment to how he executed ideas and projects that are contrary to what most creative artists and leaders do.
In a world of multi-tasking executives and artists, Jones insisted on tackling one task at a time and not leaving it until it was finished.
Early in his life, Jones’ father told him, “Once a task is just begun, never leave it ‘til it’s done.” Those words stayed with Jones for his entire career, and he committed to them with every assignment. Whether writing a song or producing a recording, he worked diligently on that project and that project alone. Nothing else got through.
Unlike many artists, Jones chose not to distance himself from an assignment or seek a fresh perspective when he was stuck. Instead, he pushed through and stayed with a task or project until it was 100 percent completed.
Surely, he took the time to eat, sleep, and engage in peripheral tasks, but his approach was to complete each task before starting on another one. He ignored requests and avoided distraction, preferring to concentrate all his efforts on one project at a time until it was put to bed.
The result of this approach was an extraordinary level of production and unmatched output.
If the commitment to one task at a time transforms a self-promise into reality, Jones was a triumphant example of the power of concentrated effort.
The idea of one-task-at-at-a-time-until-completion is worth considering. While it is exceedingly difficult to do, especially given the many priorities and issues a leader faces every day, it can have a striking impact on personal productivity.
Perhaps applying this wisdom to even one task each day would promote more effectiveness. Nothing is more satisfying than fully completing an important project or task.
Jones knew the power of this satisfaction one project at a time. So should you.
