Dangers of unfinished tasks

Effective Execution - Project Management                     

The law of inertia tells us a body in motion stays in motion. The same is applicable for project execution also. When we interrupt a task, it can be difficult to pick it up again.

As per statistics, we are interrupted every three minutes and half of those interruptions are self-imposed. When we are working on something without a clear deadline, seeing it through to its end can be a huge challenge.

Think of those projects that were started and faded gradually before coming to an end or to stagnation. Think of those aspirations that never moved into actual conception.

One of the reasons people don’t finish tasks is their fear of being evaluated. Prolonging completion of a task could be one way of avoiding being harshly evaluated.

Every master procrastinator has figured out a reason to justify that delay in finishing.  It’s not that procrastinators are lazy.

More likely they busy themselves doing things other than what they are supposed to be doing. 

A most common reason given for unfinished job is the perfectionist card. Calling himself a perfectionist won’t get him out of the fact that he is not getting things done.

The unfinished tasks, if not monitored seriously, will lead to missing targets, time delay and project cost overrun which may ultimately result in shelving the project.  

Aiyan Thiruvalluvar cautions

வினைபகை என்றிரண்டின் எச்சம் நினையுங்கால்

தீயெச்சம் போலத் தெறும். (674)

कर्म-शेष रखना तथा, शत्रु जनों में शेष ।
अग्नि-शेष सम ही करें, दोनों हानि विशेष ॥ (६७४)

Explanation by Scholars

When duly considered, the incomplete execution of an undertaking and hostility will grow and destroy one like the (unextinguished) remnant of a fire.

ஏற்ற செயலையோ, எதிர்கொண்ட பகையையோ முற்றாக முடிக்காமல் விட்டுவிட்டால் அது நெருப்பை அரைகுறையாக அணைத்தது போலக் கேடு விளைவிக்கும்.