The Art of Finishing

There’s a certain comfort in the realm of infinite possibility. When a project is ongoing, it can be anything. It’s Schrödinger’s1 project — simultaneously perfect and flawed until you actually finish it and put it out into the world. The moment you declare a project “done,” you open it up to criticism, both external and internal. What if it’s not ... See more

👥 Embrace Accountability : I’ll find ways to make myself accountable for finishing projects.

⏳ Time-Box My Projects : I’ll give myself a deadline. It doesn’t have to be short, but it should be finite. Having an end date creates urgency and helps me prevent endless feature creep.

🎉 Celebrate Completions : I’ll make finishing a big deal. I’ll celebrate when I complete a project, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement can help shift my mindset towards completion.

Starting teaches us about ideation and initial implementation. Finishing, on the other hand, teaches us about perseverance, attention to detail, and the art of knowing when to let go.

This phenomenon is closely related to Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In personal projects, the available time is often infinite, leading to endless expansion

Define “Done” from the Start : Before diving into a project, I’ll clearly define what “finished” looks like. What are the core features that constitute a complete project? I’ll write them down and resist the urge to expand this list as I go.

🚀 Embrace MVP : Instead of aiming for perfection, I’ll aim for “good enough.”

The illusion of productivity plays a significant role too. As long as you’re working on something, you feel productive. Jumping from project to project gives you a constant stream of “new project energy,” which can feel more invigorating than the grind of finishing a single project.