When you’re in the middle of a project that takes years, something massive, something that eats whole seasons of your life, the only question that matters is: How do I finish?
You learn how to push through fatigue, how to keep believing in the vision, how to carry it through storms. Finishing becomes the whole identity.
But when you’re in the final push, you have to give it everything you’ve got. I happen to be in that stage right now, the last month of finishing the most complex project I’ve worked on in years: editing my latest documentary. It’s a phase that demands total focus, where every historical detail matters and every ounce of energy feels spoken for. The finish line is in sight, but it asks for your full presence before you can finally cross it.
The Invisible Weight of “Done”
We imagine that finishing a big project will feel like freedom. But often, finishing is disorienting, unless you already have your next project lined up. Without that anchor, the sense of purpose that carried you for months or years can suddenly dissolve, leaving you in a strange limbo where momentum has nowhere to go. You’ve lived inside this world for so long that letting go feels unnatural. The rituals, the problem-solving, the research, they’ve become part of you. Especially when you’ve sacrificed other aspects of your life just to focus all your energy on finishing.
And yet, clinging to that finished work is like walking with a backpack full of stones you no longer need. Every ounce of energy you spend holding onto it is energy you can’t invest in your next evolution.
A Creative Audit for You
Try this exercise, especially if you’re at the end of something long:
Make a list of three things you’ve learned from this project that you’re truly grateful for. These could be skills, relationships, or even lessons about yourself.
Next, write down three ways you plan to enjoy life once this project is done.
Think of small and big things, rest, travel, starting something new, or simply reclaiming your mornings or sunday dance or yoga.
Circle the one item from each list that excites you the most.
That’s both your reward and your bridge to what’s next.
Why This Matters
Finishing isn’t only about crossing the finish line, it’s about honoring the journey, acknowledging what it taught you, and creating space for joy after the long stretch of discipline.
That requires courage, not just the kind that pushes through years of work, but the kind that dares to say: I’m grateful for what this project gave me, and I’m ready to step into the life waiting beyond it.