How to finish a project

Let’s discuss the naure of personal projects, shall we? As we all know, personal projects are things we work on individually (usually) outside of work (usually). I have a great many ideas for personal projects. Some are more exciting than others. But I won’t share them with you — I’ll keep them to myself for now, thanks!

A few things to note about projects:

1. Projects have a tendency to be hard. We all overestimate our enthusiasm and underestimate the actual effort needed for the project.
2. Projects take time. Yes, there are lots of little projects out there — hell, I cut, painted, and installed shelving for two closets in my house over three or four hours last weekend (and they were level) — but most of them take significantly more time.
3. Some projects aren’t worth completing. It’s a hard truth, but some projects you initially thought were good ideas are not so feasible the more you work on it. Sometimes it comes down to money. Sometimes time. Sometimes manpower. Or skill level. This always bums me out. However, if this is the case, you can always set it aside for when the conditions are juuuuust right.

But how do we finish a project!?

This is where I fail most of the time. And by most of the time, I mean like 90% of the time, because I’m a pro at starting projects, but I suck at seeing them through to the end.

The key for me is keeping up momentum on a project. If I set something aside for a few days, the chance of me finishing that project drops dramatically.

I also have Shiny Object Syndrome, which I don’t know if that’s a real thing but it is for me. I gravitate towards the new things like a moth to flame. New framework? Gotta check it out! New library to make [x] easier? Yeah, let’s play with it! New tool for my workshop so I can build things? Abso-fucking-lutely.

The problem with that is I don’t explore that new thing long enough to master it before the next new thing comes along. I really need to learn how to put blinders on and keep my head down to focus on the thing I just picked up before I put it down again.

I’m not saying exploring new things is bad. Far from it! But it is definitely worthwhile to develop some restraint. I don’t want to be mediocre at a lot of things. I want to be great at a few key things, and maybe have some general knowledge of all those other things.

So how do we finish projects?

1. Maintain momentum. Don’t set things aside for longer than necessary.
2. Put on some stinkin’ blinders. Those other shiny objects will likely still be there when you’re done fiddling with whatever it is you’re working on now.
3. Make a list! Instead of diving and starting other projects, make a list of those projects so you remember that you want to do them later. Order them by priority if you’d like, so you already know what you’ll work on next. And if you’re extra excited about that next thing on your list, you’ll be that much more motivated to finish your current project.
4. Stay motivated. Pump yourself up. Give yourself a pep talk. Listen to some bangin’ music while you work. You can do it! Finish that project!