The final ten percent of a task has a strange ability to last half the project. The main work is done, but there are details to check, files to name, dishes to wash, or one annoying paragraph that refuses to cooperate.
Starting is powered by novelty. The end requires patience after novelty has left the building. That is why nearly finished tasks can accumulate. They no longer feel exciting, but they continue taking up space.
Choose one nearly finished thing and define what done actually means. Keep the definition reasonable. Then give the last portion a focused block of attention. You may discover that the task needed less time than the avoidance surrounding it. Finishing will not always feel inspiring, but it returns energy that has been tied up in remembering, postponing, and feeling vaguely guilty.
Today’s Prompt
What nearly finished task could you carry through its final ten percent?
