The Art of Almost Finishing

Writer’s block is real. But coder’s block? That’s a different beast.

It hits when you’re 80% done with a feature or project. Things mostly work—but not quite how you imagined. So you pause to reevaluate. You spot a few missing pieces. Maybe even a better approach. You start adding more. Suddenly, you’ve overscoped.

And just like that, you’re back at square one. Staring at a tangled mess. Overwhelmed. Tempted to sleep it off. Which is especially dangerous for professional procrastinators.

Starting from scratch feels easier than untangling what’s already built. Especially when the alternative is breaking everything in the process.

But in real-world apps, that’s not really an option. You can’t just wipe the board clean. Major changes have to be introduced slowly. Piece by piece. Carefully tested and integrated. You can’t afford to lose customer data—or trust—because of a rushed push to production.

This is a personal challenge for me. I have a strangely high detachment to the things I build. Maybe I’ve read too much Buddhism.

And because of that, I’ve started many projects with high octane and ended up building a graveyard of side projects. May they all rest in peace.

Wiping the slate clean feels natural. The slow and steady approach? That floods my ADD brain with cortisol.

This is exactly why I could never be a surgeon. Halfway through the operation, I’d go, “Wait. This isn’t clean. Let’s just start over.” Scalpel down. Patient dead. Career over.

Humans love to create problems that don’t exist. We chase complexity like it’s a badge of honor. But the good stuff—peace, clarity, momentum—lives in simplicity.

The trick, I’m learning, is knowing when to tend the garden instead of burning it down.

Reduce before you add.
Constrain before you expand.
Less is more.