Module 9 · Planning & doing · Lesson 6 of 7

Starting hard tasks, finishing tasks

Beginnings stall on dread; endings stall on the last dull ten percent.

7 min read · Free — no account needed to read

The idea

Two moments in any task are especially hard: the start and the finish. Starting difficult tasks stalls on dread — the task feels large, uncertain or unpleasant, so we reach for something easier. Finishing stalls on the dull last stretch — the tidying, checking and sending that is less interesting than the middle.

For starting, make the first step absurdly small and specific: open the document and write one sentence; put on your shoes; read the first page. Starting is often the hardest part; once moving, many people find it easier to continue than they expected.

For finishing, define what “done” means before you begin, and treat the last stretch as its own task with its own time. Many unfinished projects are ninety percent done and simply lack a clear finish line.

Why it matters

Unstarted and unfinished tasks both drain energy — they keep returning to mind. Getting better at the two hard moments turns a long list of half-done things into a shorter list of done ones.

See it happen

Ella has five half-finished online courses, three nearly complete craft projects and a novel draft that stops at chapter ten.

The first read

She loves starting new things and gets bored in the details, so she assumes she is just not a finisher by nature.

With this idea

She picks one course, writes exactly what done means — the final assignment submitted — and books two evenings just for finishing. Completing it feels so good that she does the same for one craft project the next month.

What changed

She defined done and gave the finish its own time, instead of treating it as a personality trait.

Easy to get wrong

• Waiting for the start to feel easier. Dread usually fades after starting, not before.
• Leaving “done” undefined. Without a finish line, tasks can grow forever.

What this rests on

Practical wisdom. A widely used way of working. Useful to try — not a scientific law.

Try it: Tiny start, clear finish

1. Pick a task you have been avoiding starting. Write a first step so small it feels silly.
2. Pick a task that is nearly finished. Write exactly what “done” means.
3. Do the tiny start today, and schedule the finish.

Reflect

• Which is harder for you: starting or finishing?
• What is nearly done and just needs a finish line?

Use it in the coming days

This week, do one tiny start and one deliberate finish, and put both on your schedule.

Where to do it: My Schedule

Starts and finishes both go better with a set time on the schedule.