Starting is easy. Ending is hard.
Side projects usually start with good intentions. Curiosity. Learning. A gap you wanted to explore. Sometimes they even start as the main thing, until reality pulls attention elsewhere.
The problem is not starting side projects. The problem is knowing when they are no longer serving you.
Side projects have a way of lingering. They take a little time, a little energy, a little mental space. None of it feels dangerous on its own. Together, they blur focus. Core work slows down, not because you are lazy, but because your attention is fragmented.
Exiting a side project is not about quitting. It is about closing the loop.
The first step is to be honest about the role it plays now. Is it creating momentum or just preserving optionality? Many projects survive long after their learning value is gone simply because they once mattered.
Then there is the human side. If others are involved, silence is the worst exit. Unclear endings damage trust more than clean ones. A short explanation, a clear decision, and a reasonable handover respects everyone’s time.
Another useful frame is reversibility. Ask yourself what you lose by stopping. Skills rarely disappear. Networks rarely vanish. Ideas can be revisited later. What you regain immediately is focus, and focus compounds faster than half finished ambition.
There is also dignity in documenting the work. Write down what you learned. Capture what worked and what did not. This turns an ending into an asset rather than a regret. It also makes it easier to let go without feeling wasteful.
Focusing on core work does not mean narrowing your identity. It means choosing where to be fully present. Progress comes from depth, not from carrying many beginnings at once.
Ending a side project well is a skill.
It creates space for the work that actually moves you forward.
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