There’s a particular energy in beginnings. The rush of ideas, the novelty, the feeling that this time, this project, will be different.
But finishing — really finishing — is a different art form altogether. It demands a different energy. A different mindset. And for most academics, it’s where the whole system breaks down.
We start too many things. We overcommit. We polish forever. We stall, waiting for some elusive moment of readiness.
The truth? Finishing isn’t about waiting until it’s perfect. It’s about managing yourself through the messy middle to the finish line.
Why We Struggle to Finish
Finishing triggers fear. It brings visibility, judgement, and the possibility of failure. Once you finish, you have to show your work. If it’s done well, this work demonstrates that you stand for something, and that you had something to say.
So we hover in the safety of the almost-done. We tinker, we re-read, we “just need to add that one reference.” Perfectionism, imposter feelings, and cognitive overload all play a role. But so does something simpler: a lack of clear process for what “finishing” looks like.
The Anatomy of Finishing
To finish well, you need three things:
Definition – What does done actually mean for this project?
Is it ready for submission, for peer feedback, or for publication?
Be explicit — vagueness fuels avoidance.
Containment – Create boundaries for how much more you’ll do.
“I’ll do one more read for structure, one more for clarity, then I’m done.”
Deadlines are powerful when you decide what’s enough.
Momentum – Finishing requires sustained focus.
Schedule finishing sessions where the only goal is closure: references finalised, conclusion written, submission uploaded.
Finishing isn’t glamorous. It’s admin, persistence, and emotional regulation — the least celebrated academic skill, but arguably the most important!
I spend a lot more time than I would like trying to get people over the line with their writing, and its not the writing I am managing but the emotional regulation of letting them know it is OK. It is time to move on.
The Mindset Shift
You don’t need to feel ready to finish. You need to decide to finish. That decision creates a cascade of action:
You stop entertaining new ideas.
You stop rewriting the introduction.
You stop letting fear of rejection dictate your timeline.
Finishing is an act of courage. It says, “This is what I can offer now.” And then you let the work go and move on to the next thing.
A Mini Finishing Audit
Take five minutes to do this right now:
List every writing project you’ve started.
Mark each one as: active, stalled, or abandoned.
Choose one that’s 80% done and commit to finishing it this month.
Then ask yourself:
“What would it take to move this over the line?”
Not in theory — in practice. What’s missing? What’s in your way? What tiny, unglamorous actions would get it done? This kind of self-audit is powerful because it shifts your focus from guilt to action.
The Takeaway
Finishing is not about speed. It’s about closure. It’s how you build a track record, a publication pipeline, and most importantly, trust in yourself. If you want to change your relationship with writing, don’t aim to start more projects — aim to finish the ones you’ve already begun.
Because every finished piece — however imperfect — builds momentum, clarity, and confidence. So this week, I’ll leave you with one question:
What’s the one thing you could finish before Friday?