Like many (most?) here, I have faced the same problem in the past and continue to. The difference is that over the past several years, I've figured out how to d

Like many (most?) here, I have faced the same problem in the past and continue to. The difference is that over the past several years, I've figured out how to do it. It all boils down to persistence, diligence, and work. As others have said, intelligence has nothing to do with it. Intelligence can sometimes be a negative because a) creative people often flit from idea to idea and, b) it can breed perfectionism--the killer of finishing. I agree with many of the other posters (including pg) that you should start small and get a feeling for what it's like to finish. It also helps to talk well to yourself. The subconscious has a powerful sway over our feelings of self-esteem, unwitting self-sabotage, etc. Napoleon Hill and others talk about this. The self-talk can seem cheesy but it works, and completing small things gives you a foundation for this. As for larger projects, there are a few important considerations. First, you must pick a project you believe in and will be willing to commit part of your life to (6 months?, 2 years?...). Next, you must be willing to put aside other ideas and projects in favor of it (mostly). As long as you are moving forward regularly, you can make exceptions, but you must have only one main project. Next, you must break your project down into milestones. This is common sense and well understood if you program for a living. Each milestone has to be measurable so you can tell when you're done with it (and check it off). I know this sounds basic but the reason everyone keeps repeating it is that it works. You should also do something, however small, every day. Google Seinfeld's breaking the chain post on lifehacker for a technique to use here. Finally, it helps to have a powerful motivator attached at the meta level to your project. This can be accomplished by partnering with someone. (Partnering has the benefit of helping to establish and maintain momentum. This is very important but can also be addressed through daily activity, as described above.) For me, it was hitting near bottom financially while living abroad. I had taken my family to live in Europe without the help of a company. We did it ourselves by saving and borrowing for two years--a very difficult undertaking. When this occurred, I swore to myself that I would never allow that to happen again. Every step since has been focused on the goal of financial independence. It has become an obsession. So I have a strong motivator to attach to projects. It sounds like you have a strong motivator as well. It really needs to become a daily obsession. In order to feed my obsession, I read books about it and about people who have overcome similar situations. This keeps it in the forefront of my mind and week by week I'm also building a better and better knowledge base of how other people have accomplished the same thing. With this motivational force behind you, when you turn to your primary project, it's easier to move it forward a bit. Surprisingly, wealth building and doing great things (building non-profits, etc.) all have very much in common. They are built by achievers. Achievers are merely people who move things forward little by little--relentlessly.