How to Break the Stuck Cycle With a Finishing Spree

The gist: Drowning in unfinished projects and dealing with executive dysfunction? Here's how to focus on what's almost done to reduce overwhelm and break the cycle.

If you’re anything like me, you have a long list of projects you’ve started but haven’t finished.

Maybe you have so many things on your plate you forget about half of them. Or you just can’t find the motivation to work on certain things. Maybe the project is so close to being done that your brain forgot about that one thing left and decided it was mentally finished.

Whatever the reason for your figurative pile of half-finished projects, the resulting cycle is usually the same:

The pile of unfinished projects feels overwhelming, which makes it harder to actually do anything about them. When you're not making progress on anything, your motivation and momentum disappear. And when you have no motivation left, the overwhelm gets worse and taking action feels even more impossible.

There is a way out of this cycle, though.

But before we get into what that is, it helps to understand why so many projects end up stuck at 90% done in the first place.

Why so many projects sit at 90% done

So what causes projects to get stuck so close to the finish line?

There are a few common culprits.

Sometimes it's as simple as getting distracted by something new that catches your attention. While you play with your new shiny object, the old one gets pushed to the back burner and ignored.

Other times, you get to the point of "practically done," with just a few steps left. But your brain mishears that as "actually done" and mentally archives it into its “don’t need to think about anymore” folder.

And sometimes, you jump between projects so much that you're despite feeling constantly busy, you haven’t made noticeable progress on any one thing. When it feels like you’ve been working and working but have gotten nowhere, it’s hard to get yourself to keep trying.

But there’s actually a way to use those half-finished projects to break out of that “feeling stuck” spiral we mentioned in the intro, instead of letting them further perpetuate it.

Enter: the finishing spree.

What is a finishing spree?

A finishing spree is when you temporarily stop starting new projects and focus your energy on finishing the ones that are almost done. The projects where most of the work is behind you and you just need to knock out those last few tasks.

The "stop starting new things" part is important.

Because if you let yourself get distracted by new ideas while you're supposed to be finishing, you'll end up right back in the same pattern that created the problem in the first place.

It's something you can pull out when you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or in a motivation slump. Maybe every few months, or whenever you notice that pile of almost-done projects getting out of hand.

Why finishing sprees work

So why does focusing on almost-done projects help when you're stuck?

• Less overwhelm. Each project you finish actually shortens your list, which means less stuff taking up space in your head and weighing on you.
• More motivation. Finishing something feels good. You get a hit of dopamine, a sense of accomplishment. When you finish multiple things in a short period, those wins stack up and you start to feel like you can actually get things done again.
• Everything gets easier. Finished projects don't just disappear from your list. They actually do things for you. They reduce friction in your daily routines and make other projects less complicated.

All three of these benefits reinforce each other, building the kind of momentum that can help you get and stay unstuck.

Now, how do you actually run a finishing spree?

How to run a finishing spree

You probably already have a list of almost-done projects in your head or on your to-do list.

Here's how to turn that list into a finishing spree:

1. Identify your almost-done projects. You're looking for projects where you've already done most of the work, or where you know exactly what to do, even if you've been avoiding doing it.
2. Pick which projects to include. Trying to finish everything at once will just recreate the overwhelm, so choose a manageable number of projects based on how much time and energy you have right now.
3. Don't start anything new. New ideas will pop up and something shinier will catch your attention. But starting new things while you're trying to finish undermines the whole point, so when you feel that pull, notice it and let it go.
4. Finish the projects you've chosen. As you complete each one, your list gets shorter and you remember what it feels like to actually finish something. That momentum makes it easier to keep going with the rest.

Once you've finished your finishing spree, you'll have a shorter list, renewed momentum, and proof that you can actually get things done. Which makes it a lot easier to keep moving forward instead of sliding back into the stuck cycle.

Start your finishing spree

Think about the projects on your list where you can almost see the finish line. Try picking a few of those and spending the next week or two getting them done.

You don't need to finish everything to break out of feeling stuck. Sometimes just a handful of completed projects is enough.

And if you liked this post, you'll also love:

• Gentle Accountability: The ADHD-Friendly Way to Follow Through
• Fresh Start Effect: How ADHDers Can Refresh Motivation On Demand
• 9 Ways to Reset When You Need a Fresh Start