Where Projects Go to Die

Starting is exciting. It’s the rush of a new idea, the excitement of possibility.

Finishing is rewarding. You get the satisfaction of seeing it done, shipped, and out in the world.

But the middle is where things get tricky.

It’s where enthusiasm fades. A new idea, a fresh opportunity, a “better” way to do it.

Suddenly, the thing you were working on doesn’t feel interesting anymore. It’s not new. It’s not finished. It’s just work.

So you jump. To the next thing. And maybe even the next. You’re looking for that spark again. You’re convinced the new project will be more fun, more exciting, even better to work on.

But like every project, the new one will have a middle too.

We all start more projects we can finish. Not all of them are worth finishing. But some of them do need your attention.

The real work isn’t in starting. It’s in pushing through the messy, unsexy middle and getting to done. Because done means your work is real and tangible. Done means there’s something to show for all the work you put in.

If you don’t finish, you’re left with a trail that stops, like a bridge that never reached the other side.

And half-built bridges don’t take you anywhere.