Written by Abhijita Gupta
Abhijita is a three-time published author who first saw her work in print at the age of seven, and has since earned five national and international records for her writing. Recognised among the Ministry of Culture’s 40 inspiring youth and honoured at the Global Child Prodigy Awards in Dubai by Nobel Laureate Sir Richard J Roberts, she continues to represent young literary talent on global platforms.
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Let’s be for real, we have all been there, starting a new project with the speed of a marathon runner, and the enthusiasm of a soldier, but somewhere between, the magic fades away, and the task that you once took out time for, made its way to the top of your ‘to do list.’ It starts feeling like a burden and you turn sluggish, but you still do it, and then comes the most dreaded part, where you find it even more boring than a history lesson! And then the idea of starting a new project all together just appears more productive, so you quit altogether! Well worry no more, I am here to help you finish every single project without giving up and teach you the discipline of finishing. Most of the students quit at the 50% mark, so let us understand why the middle part is harder than the starting.
At the starting, you are driven by the fuel of enthusiasm and newness, but then at the 50% mark, all that fades away and you hit the creative gap, where you don’t know how to carry on the project. To make it easy I will break down the stages of any project for you.
STAGE 1 (10% - 45%) : you are fueled by enthusiasm and you are rushing towards the finish line, it feels as if nothing can stop you from completing your project now!
STAGE 2 ( 45% - 50% ) : you hit your sluggish point but you still go on, because the fire has gone out but not the spark, this is the most crucial point, where you have got to keep going.
STAGE 3 (Abandonment ) : the spark goes out and you abandon the project. You will know you hit the abandonment phase when you say things like :
"I need more research before I can continue."
"This actually isn't that good of an idea anyway."
"I’ll just take a break and come back to it later" (Spoiler: You won't).
1. Micro-Slicing: The 20-Minute Win
Stop putting "climb the mountain" on your to-do list. When a task is too big, your brain treats it like a threat and triggers procrastination. Instead, break your work into micro-slices—tasks so small they feel almost too easy to fail.
The Old Way: "Write English Essay." (Too heavy, leads to ghosting the project and procrastination).
The Finisher Way: "Draft three bullet points for the intro" (Fast, low-stakes, builds momentum, looks small, but gets the work done).
2. The Non-Zero Rule: Prevent the Spark from Going Out
Consistency isn’t about working three hours every day; it’s about never letting the spark go out. On days when school, sports, or life drains your battery, commit to a Non-Zero Day. Do one tiny thing—write one sentence, fix one bug, or sketch one hand. It keeps the project going, even if the contribution is little, so the next day when you pick it up, you wouldn’t procrastinate like the day before.
3. The “this is bad” Phase
Many a times, when you step back to admire your work, it might not exactly be what you expected, it might be too good, or a little ‘bad,’ this is the point where you don’t know how to fix it or just don’t like the outcome, so if you didn’t quit at the 50% mark, you may quit here. That is not what you will do! You will finish it because, your goal here is not to make it perfect, it is the art of finishing, even if it is not perfect your brain well still treat it as a victory.
4. The 30% Feedback Loop: Prevent a heart attack!
Seeking feedback when you’re 90% done is a trap. By then, you’re emotionally attached to every detail, and even helpful notes feel like an attack. Shift your strategy: Ask for a "vibe check" at 30% completion. Show your messy outline or rough sketch and ask: "Is the skeleton solid?" It’s much easier to pivot when you haven't spent forty hours decorating a room that’s built on the wrong foundation.
5. Hack Your Deadlines
Deadlines set by teachers or parents feel like chores. To take your power back, you need Social Stakes. Tell a friend, "I’m sending you my finished draft by 6 PM Friday." Suddenly, it’s not about avoiding a bad grade; it’s about keeping your word. We are hardwired to care what our peers think—use that "social pressure" as high-octane fuel to cross the finish line. (Pro tip: you can also use your own likings as motivation.)
The 14-Day "Finisher" Routine
If you want to practice the skill of completion, pick a small "micro-project" (a 500-word story, a small painting, a 3-minute presentation) and follow this schedule:
Days 1–3 (The Launch): Outline the project. Keep it simple. Define what "Done" looks like.
Days 4–7 (The Grind): Work for exactly 20 minutes a day. No more, no less. Focus on the hardest part first.
Days 8–10 (The Messy Middle): This is where you’ll want to quit. Don't. Instead, write "LOOPHOLE!" over the parts you’re stuck on and keep moving.
Days 11–13 (The Polish): Go back to your loopholes. Fix the errors, but don’t aim for perfection because if you do not like it, you will be sent write back to the ‘abandonment phase.’
Day 14 (The Ship): Send it, post it, or hand it in. Celebrate the fact that it is finished, not that it is perfect.
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Views expressed are author's own. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
