You've probably seen the phrase run up get done floating around in entrepreneurship circles or scrawled on the whiteboard of a hyper-caffeinated startup founder. It sounds like a battle cry. It’s gritty. It basically implies that you should charge at your tasks with such overwhelming force that they have no choice but to be completed. But here’s the thing: most people treat this like a mindless sprint, and that’s exactly why they burn out before the finish line.
Efficiency isn't just about moving fast. It's about kinetic energy directed at a specific point.
If you're just running up without a plan, you're just a person running. You aren't getting anything done. You're just getting tired. Honestly, the "hustle culture" era of 2018-2022 gave us a really skewed version of what it means to be productive. We saw the 4 a.m. gym selfies and the "rise and grind" hashtags, but we didn't see the messy middle—the part where the run up get done mentality actually requires a high level of strategic patience.
Why the Run Up Get Done Mindset is Misunderstood
When we talk about this concept, we're really talking about momentum. In physics, momentum is mass times velocity. In business, it’s your resources (mass) times your speed (velocity). If you have zero resources, you need a lot of speed. If you have a ton of resources, you can afford to move a bit slower.
The mistake most people make is trying to maintain peak velocity 100% of the time.
It's impossible. Biology says no. Your brain's prefrontal cortex, which handles all that high-level decision-making, can only stay "on" for so long before it starts making sloppy mistakes. Real experts in high-output environments—think emergency room surgeons or elite special forces—don't actually "run" all the time. They operate with what’s called "tactical calm." They run up to the problem, but the "get done" part is handled with surgical precision.
The Dopamine Trap of Being Busy
We love feeling busy. It's a drug. Answering 50 emails feels like you're doing something, right? Wrong. Most of those emails are noise. To truly run up get done, you have to identify the "lead domino." This is the one task that, once completed, makes everything else easier or even unnecessary.
I've seen founders spend weeks "running up" on their branding—picking fonts, debating logo colors, arguing over hex codes—while their actual product is still broken. They feel productive because they’re working hard. But they aren't getting the right things done.
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- Specific Example: Look at the early days of Airbnb. The founders didn't just "work hard" generally. They realized their "run up" moment was the quality of the photos. They literally traveled to New York to take professional pictures of listings themselves. That was the one move that unlocked their growth.
The Anatomy of an Effective Run Up
So, how do you actually do this without losing your mind? You need a ramp. You can't just go from zero to sixty in a second.
Phase 1: The Research Sprint
Before you move, you watch. You gather data. If you’re trying to launch a new marketing campaign, your "run up" isn't the ad spend. It's the week you spend obsessively reading customer reviews of your competitors. You’re looking for the gaps. What are people complaining about? That’s your opening.
Phase 2: The Aggressive Execution
Once you have the target, you go. This is the run up get done phase in its purest form. You block out the world. You turn off Slack. You tell your family you'll be "in the tunnel" for four hours. This is where you produce the bulk of the work. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s messy. Perfectionism is the enemy here. Just get the draft finished. Get the code running. Get the product in front of a beta tester.
Phase 3: The Decompression
This is the part everyone forgets. If you don't decompress, the next "run up" will be 50% less effective. You need a cool-down period.
Deep Work vs. Shallow Hustle
Cal Newport popularized the idea of "Deep Work," and it’s the intellectual backbone of getting things done effectively. The run up get done philosophy is basically the aggressive application of Deep Work. It’s about singular focus.
Most people operate in a state of "continuous partial attention."
You’re writing a report, but you’re also checking your phone every six minutes. You’re in a meeting, but you’re also thinking about what you’re having for lunch. This is the opposite of a run up. This is a slow crawl through mud. To truly get things done, you have to eliminate the switching cost—that cognitive tax your brain pays every time you switch tasks. Research from the University of California, Irvine, suggests it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to deep focus after a distraction. Think about that. If you check your phone three times an hour, you are literally never in a state of flow.
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Common Obstacles to Effective Execution
It’s not just about willpower. Sometimes, the environment is the problem.
- Decision Fatigue: If you’ve spent all morning deciding what to wear, what to eat, and which email to answer first, you’ve used up your "run up" energy before you even hit the big tasks. This is why people like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg wore the same thing every day. It wasn't a fashion statement; it was energy conservation.
- The Sunk Cost Fallacy: Sometimes you run up on a project and realize halfway through that it's the wrong project. Most people keep going because they've already put in the work. Real pros have the guts to stop, pivot, and run up on a different target.
- Fear of Done: This is a weird one, but it’s real. If you actually "get done," you have to put your work out there for the world to judge. Staying in the "running up" phase is safe. It’s a form of procrastination disguised as preparation.
Mastering the "Done" Part of the Equation
What does "done" actually look like? In many industries, "done" is better than "perfect."
If you're a software developer, "done" means the code is stable and solves the core problem, even if the UI isn't beautiful yet. If you're a writer, "done" means the piece communicates the idea clearly, even if there's a stray comma somewhere. You have to define the "Definition of Done" (DoD) before you start. Otherwise, you’ll just keep running in circles.
In the world of project management, specifically Agile methodology, the DoD is a formal checklist. It keeps the team from over-engineering. It ensures that the run up get done energy is spent on the essentials, not the fluff.
The Psychological Impact of Momentum
There is a massive mental health benefit to actually finishing things. When you constantly start projects and never finish them, you're training your brain to see you as someone who doesn't follow through. This kills your self-efficacy.
On the flip side, every time you successfully run up get done, you're building a "evidence log" of your own competence.
You start to trust yourself more. That trust leads to more confidence, which makes the next "run up" feel less daunting. It’s a virtuous cycle. But it starts with small wins. Don't try to "run up" on a year-long project today. Run up on a 30-minute task. Prove you can finish it.
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Actionable Steps for High-Velocity Output
Forget the vague advice. If you want to apply the run up get done mentality tomorrow, here is exactly how you should structure your day.
The Pre-Game (Evening Before)
Identify your "One Thing." Not three things. One. Write it on a physical piece of paper. This is your target. Having it decided before you wake up prevents morning decision fatigue.
The Run Up (08:00 - 10:00)
This is your prime time. Do not open your email. Do not check social media. Your brain is freshest now. Put on noise-canceling headphones. If you work in an office, put a sign on your chair. For these two hours, you are unavailable to the world. You are charging at that "One Thing" with everything you've got.
The Get Done (The Final Push)
As you feel your energy dip, look at your "Definition of Done." What is the absolute minimum required to call this task finished? Do those things immediately. Don't polish. Don't tweak. Just cross the finish line.
The Aftermath
Once it's done, step away from your desk. Walk around. Drink water. Talk to a human. This reset is vital. You've just spent a lot of mental capital; you need to let the accounts replenish.
Real productivity isn't about being a robot. It's about being an athlete. It's about recognizing when it's time to sprint and when it's time to rest. The run up get done lifestyle only works if you respect the physics of your own mind. You can't stay in a sprint forever, but when you do decide to run, make sure you're running toward something that actually matters.
Start by looking at your to-do list right now. Pick the one thing you’ve been avoiding because it feels too big. That’s your target. Set a timer for 60 minutes. No distractions. No excuses. Just run up and get it done. The relief you'll feel when it's finished is worth ten times the effort it took to start.