The author shares personal experiences and strategies for overcoming the cycle of starting new projects without seeing them through to completion.
projects, highlighting how they represent unlimited
Book & Media Recommendations: Tools for Completion The Lean Startup by Eric Ries - learn to efficiently manage resources and time! Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown - focus on what truly matters in your projects. Atomic Habits by James Clear - strategies on building productive habits, which help finish projects! The Tim Ferriss Show - insightful podcast about productivity, work-life balance, and getting things done.
The key is recognizing that each unfinished project contributes to mental clutter and drains productivity.
Learning to finish offers valuable skills that improve confidence and increases your overall output and creativity.
Begin by clearly defining what “finished” looks like for your projects.
challenges that developers face when trying to complete projects, often getting lost in endless beginnings and a cycle of new ideas. The article dives deep into the reasons behind
Finishing design work reflects our understanding of user needs, allowing us to gather feedback and iterate based on real-world insights—making the design experience fulfilling rather than perpetually incomplete!
It’s either a glorious finish or crawling across the line—it’s all about having the guts to show up for the final sprint!
What is the primary reason people struggle to finish their projects?
role too. As long as you’re working on something, you feel
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.
elusive “perfect” solution. The irony is that this pursuit of perfection often leads
The absence of deadlines in personal projects adds another layer to this complexity2. Without the external pressure of a due date, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of perfectionism.
in personal projects, the luxury of unlimited time can become a curse, allowing us to justify spending hours, days, or even weeks on minor details that, in reality, make little difference to the project’s overall success or usefulness.
sometimes, “good enough” truly is perfect, especially when the alternative is never finishing at all.
Perhaps most importantly, we learn different lessons from finishing projects than we do from starting them. 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. These are invaluable skills that can only be honed
Perhaps most importantly, we learn different lessons from finishing projects than we do from starting them. 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
Perhaps most importantly, we learn different lessons from finishing projects than we do from starting them. 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.
Each unfinished project can chip away at your confidence. Over time, you might start to doubt your ability to complete anything substantial, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of incompletion.
In professional settings, being known as someone who starts things but doesn’t finish them can be detrimental to your career.
Every unfinished project takes up mental space. It’s like having dozens of browser tabs open—each one uses a little bit of your mental RAM, leaving you with less capacity for new ideas and focused work. This mental clutter can be a significant drain on your creativity and productivity.
There’s a joy in shipping that can’t be replicated by starting something new.
Finished projects also invite feedback, and without shipping, you miss out on valuable insights from users or peers that could significantly improve your skills and future projects.
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
Embrace MVP: Instead of aiming for perfection, I’ll aim for “good enough.” I’ll get a basic version working and out into the world.
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.
Each finished project, no matter how small, is a step towards becoming someone who not only starts with enthusiasm but finishes with satisfaction.
A study by the American Society of Training and Development found that people have a 65% chance of completing a goal if they commit to someone else. That chance increases to 95% when they have a specific accountability appointment with the person they’ve committed to.
