This week, Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) reminds us all that getting things done relies on one thing and one thing alone… Stopping. Because stopping means finished, and finished means do something else.

The PR machine kicked into overdrive last week for the 40th anniversary edition of the Rolling Stones’ album Exile on Main Street.

Generally regarded by fans and critics alike as the greatest record the band ever made, at its time of release it was not well received.

People derided its loose, sloppy, dare I say it, shambolic sound. In essence it sounded as if they had released a collection of rough-hewn demos.

But over time people grew to love it and recognise its raw beauty.

This week sees the release of the anniversary edition, which includes a bunch of out-takes and unused songs.

I already have many of these out-takes, so was looking forward to hearing them polished up for official release.

Boy was I disappointed.

The Stones have messed with perfection. What was once rough ‘n ready is now overly overdubbed.
What made the original album what it was, was that the Stones knew when to stop.

Sure they could have smartened up a few songs, or even culled one or two, but they didn’t. They trusted their instincts and knew what they had created could not be improved upon.

You need to develop this kind of instinct for your own work.

Know when it can be better. Know when it isn’t quite there. And know when it is finished. Because if you don’t, you may find you overwork your work so much that the simple beauty of the initial idea ends up getting lost.

Sometimes it’s hard being a junior… But then you realise it’s waaaay easier than paying for a mortgage and trying desperately to keep your job, so you chill out and find a way to make it awesome. Sound like a good philosophy? Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) has an anecdote or two to help spread the good word.

In last week’s Whip I wrote about people failing to turn up for appointments. Why did I do this? Because people who make an appointment to see me and don’t turn up shit me. End of story.

However I should tell you that there is another side to this story. And it dates back several years.

As a young shitkicker I booked an appointment to see a Creative Director with my folio. I had to take time off from my day job to make this appointment, so you can imagine how disappointed I was when I turned up to find that the CD wasn’t even in the building.

His assistant apologised and made me a new time to see him.

Yet again I had to take an afternoon off work to make the appointment. Yet again the CD wasn’t there when I turned up. The third time this happened I decided the CD was obviously a dickhead and gave up trying to see him.

The lesson I learnt from this string of disappointments is one I still follow to this day. It’s a lesson you can learn from too;

Be nice to people as you scale the career ladder because chances are you’ll meet them again when you’re on the way down.