Focus Tips
Can't Finish a Side Project
Push your personal project past the 80% mark to actual completion.
The Problem
You started the side project with excitement — the idea, the first build, the early wins. But now it is "mostly done" and the final 20% (polish, docs, launch) feels thankless. You drift to a shiny new idea, leaving a graveyard of half-finished projects behind you.
Strategies to Overcome It
- 1Define "done" explicitly before you start: a shipped link, a published post, a sent email.
- 2Timebox the final 20% to one week and treat it as a sprint, not an open-ended chore.
- 3Cut scope ruthlessly — launch the smallest version that works and iterate later.
- 4Show the project to one person weekly for accountability and motivation.
- 5Ban new side-project ideas until the current one ships.
Your 2-Minute Action
Open your side project and write down the three exact remaining tasks. Pick the smallest one and finish it in the next 10 minutes.