"The skills needed to wrap something up turn out to be quite different from the ones needed to do the bulk of the work; you've done a lot, but simply don't know how to do what's left."
"A pile of half-done projects doesn't have to be oppressive-in a certain frame of mind, it can even be an inspiring testament to your ambition and imagination."
"Eventually, though, a line gets crossed. The not-yet-finished becomes simply the unfinished. Novels pile up in a drawer; gizmos in medias res become nests of parts and wires."
"Dynamism fades, and stasis settles in. Whatever your project was, it now sits there, a weight, a rebuke."
Many projects remain unfinished due to a mismatch between the skills required for completion and those used during the initial phases. A space filled with incomplete projects can serve as a reminder of ambition but can also become burdensome. The transition from dynamic creation to stagnation occurs when unfinished items accumulate, leading to feelings of weight and rebuke. Understanding the distinct skills needed for wrapping up projects is crucial for overcoming this challenge and achieving completion.
Read at The New Yorker
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