tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2007://1/tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2007://1.8362- 2007-12-03T11:25:14Z Comments for Perpetually Almost Finished Projects Jack Vinson writes about knowledge management, personal effectiveness, theory of constraints and more. As of December 2007 Jack will likely start writing about product management too. Movable Type 4.01 tag:blog.jackvinson.com,2007://1.8362.18132 Comment from Amy Gahran on 2007-08-14 Amy Gahran http://contentious.com Jack, this is so timely for me. For the past few days I've been struggling with an "almost finished" project -- and not making much progress. I realize that the biggest reason I'm having trouble with it is partly the nature of the project (it involves coordinating lots of details with lots of people, something which drives me batty) and the fact that I've handled this particular task for several years and I'm just burned out on it.

When I start to work on this project, I feel my brain go fuzzy in rebellion. Resentment comes up. I don't want to have to untangle all these details. The people I'm coordinating with insist on sending me their information through scattered disparate e-mails, they won't or can't use shared documents or a wiki, and I hate having to sort through all those messages.

I know I can finish this task. I need to get it over with. Then I need to refuse to do it again, no matter how they ask. I am no longer the right person for this particular job.

So partly what can get in the way of finishing the almost finished is one's own emotional responses to the nature of the task, including your own reaction to the tools you're have to use, whether or not they're suitable to the task. In fact, I'd bet that if it comes to procrastinating repeatedly on an almost-finished task, there's most likely some significant aspect of emotional resistance happening.

IMHO, of course

- Amy Gahran

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