We often think the cost of an unfinished project is that the project isn't done. But unfinished work also continues to consume capacity - mentally, physically, financially - while it's sitting there in limbo. You can reclaim that capacity by finishing a project or deliberately deciding it’s no longer an active priority.
This is a common occurrence in my work. I’ll have a new client show up, energized and ready, with many amazing ideas, at least a half dozen in perpetual progress. She’s trying to move forward, putting in a lot of hours, but not advancing in the way she expected. She could be ready to launch a new offer, finish setting up a new CRM, continue with updates to her website, create a course, and/or launch a podcast - and probably a couple of other ideas she comes up with in between our strategy sessions (literally - from one week to the next).
That’s a heck of a list, and yes, I’ve had clients who aspire to all of it at the same time.
But when we start breaking everything down and talking it through, I’ll eventually say something like: “Okay. These two are what we're going to work on and finish first. These other six can and will wait. We're not doing them right now.”
And I actually SEE the tension release from her forehead down to her shoulders.
Having fewer things on her to-do list is not the only relief my client might feel at that moment. It’s regaining the space and capacity those unfinished projects have been taking up on her desk, in her calendar, and in her mind.
These clients are looking for someone to help them choose, and to give them permission. But you’re the boss, and learning this type of discernment is key to the well being of you and your business.
Can you see how unfinished projects are affecting you?
An unfinished project doesn’t voluntarily move to the back of the line on its own. In fact it squishes into the front and center, sucking time and attention from the things that need to come first.
And unfinished projects make a lot of “noise”. They create “busy time”.
You're thinking about it. You're struggling with deciding on what to work on this week. You're moving it from one list to another, wondering if it's still a priority, but you hesitate to take it off the list. You may be paying for software or other resources connected to it. You're feeling bad that you haven't gotten to it.
And you're probably talking about it - a lot. With your coach. In CEO Hour. With a friend or colleague. You’re a little disappointed with yourself, feeling embarrassed. “I really need to finish…” “I still haven't gotten to…”
Often we're having versions of the same conversation about the same project for months. We are distracted by it, and we make excuses. Every active unfinished project keeps requiring attention and decisions even when you're not actually making progress on it.
There's actually a term for this kind of mental clutter: “open loops.” A HuffPost article on open loops explores how unfinished tasks continue to consume mental energy—and why sometimes choosing to let them go is just as important as finishing them.
But finishing? Finishing creates capacity.
How does creating capacity help?
Finishing a project, completing all of its required tasks is like the fresh air when you open a window on the first perfect spring day. When you finish something, it’s so much more than just checking it off on a list.
Here’s what you get back:
The capacity it was consuming
Mental space it was taking up
Your decision-making capacity
Time you were spending thinking about it
Sometimes money
That capacity, energy, focus, and space can now go toward the next thing. But finishing isn't the only way to create capacity.
Creating capacity does NOT mean you should finish every single thing you've ever started.Yes, finishing something creates capacity. But deliberately deciding not to work on something right now is equally as powerful. Another realistic option is, “I’m actually not going to do this at all.”
When I tell a client, “We're not doing these six other things right now,” we haven't finished those six projects. We've simply taken them off her active plate. She no longer has to keep making the same decisions about them every week.
What are you letting go of for the next 90 days?
In a recent presentation I asked this question and gave everyone the time to answer individually. I could tell by their reactions that most of them had never been asked to view prioritization in this way. We tend to ask about what we're going to focus on. Deciding what you're not going to do is an equally important part of prioritizing, too. This is one of the ways I’ve personally evolved in my life and business - I look at what I can take OFF my plate first.
There's a difference between aspirations and necessary action - something you might want to do someday and something you're actively trying to move forward right now.
What do you do with all those ideas?
Business owners tend to be innate idea generators, which is a strength. Making strategic decisions about which unfinished projects to complete, postpone, or remove from the list doesn’t mean you need to stop having ideas or become less creative.
The issue is understanding that not every good idea has to immediately become an active project.
Generating ideas is simply being possibility-curious. They can be considered later, rather than immediately executed as soon as you generate them. I have my clients keep a future idea bank for later on that we review every few months to check on the queue and lightly plan out tentative sequencing.
What skills does finishing a project require?
Once you've decided what actually IS active, knowing what actual finishing looks like becomes an important business skill that I help my clients build. The actions necessary to finish your chosen project need to be part of your weekly plan and mixed into the other work you're doing - not just onto a shorter list. To finish, you have to execute. Period.
What projects and ideas you've been carrying around for months?
Create a list of all the projects you’re “in the process” of finishing. Then ask yourself these questions:
Which ones actually need to be finished?
Which ones could be deliberately put away for later?
Which ones could you finally decide you're just not going to do?
Then focus on two or three you will now have the focus, time, and energy to complete.
Ready to Get Clear on What Matters?
If you're juggling too many projects and struggling to decide what deserves your attention, this is exactly the kind of work I do with clients. Together, we sort through the competing priorities, make strategic decisions about what comes next, and create a practical plan to move forward.