Orchard Lab

A place to share my thoughts and learnings

Ship It

Posted at — Jun 22, 2024

I have a problem. A problem that has bothered me for a long time: not finishing the side projects I started.

No matter how big or small the project is, I always manage to give up at the very last minute. Whether the excuse is chasing so-called perfection or finding it’s not useful for myself anymore. Not to mention you could use the fancy term “sunk cost” to justify it.

I am sick of it.

I need to make a change this year.

Instead of letting my mind go wild and constantly running npm init or Xcode -> New, I need to finish the damn thing. I realized that not finishing the project causes more damage to my conscious mind than the “sunk cost.”

An unpopular finished project is fine, even if it’s not popular, even if it doesn’t resonate with other people as it once did with me.

Like training for a marathon, some days you feel awful. You could choose to skip it or have a shorter run. Skipping is very contagious.

Finishing a project needs practice, discipline, accepting imperfection, and prioritizing closure over lingering.