Perpetual Rookie: The Last 10% Takes 90% of Your Energy

Have you ever moved to a new house?

In the beginning, you move all the big stuff. Couch. Bed. Dining table. Boxes of books.

You make huge visual progress. The old place empties out. The new place fills up. It feels good.

Then you hit the small stuff.

The drawer full of batteries and twist ties. The random cables behind the TV. The half-empty bottles under the bathroom sink.

It takes forever. Hours. Sometimes as long as moving all the furniture combined.

And you get tired. Frustrated. Wondering why something so small takes so much time.

I Hit This Wall With Every Project

Last year I outlined my entire novel in two weeks.

Plot points mapped out. Major scenes sketched. Character arcs planned. I could see the whole book.

Then I started writing dialogue.

Hours per scene. Crafting each conversation. Making it sound natural. Cutting what didn't work. Adding what was missing.

Six weeks later, I was still working on Act One.

I got depressed. Thought something was wrong with me. Why was this taking so long when the outline flew by?

Then I remembered moving houses.

The details always take longer than the big moves.

A painter friend told me she loves blocking in a canvas. Big brushstrokes. Shapes and colors. The painting comes together fast.

Then she has to do the detail work. Eyes. Texture. Shadows. Each element requires focus and time.

The detail phase often takes twice as long as the initial blocking.

Same with my business. I can brainstorm a new product in an afternoon. Get the big concept locked down. Feel excited and ready to launch.

Then comes the details. Pricing structure. Email sequences. Customer support workflows. Legal stuff.

It drags on for weeks. I get frustrated and want to just ship it already.

But rushing the details ruins the whole thing.

Even organizing my workspace. I can clear the desk and shelves in 20 minutes. Big progress, easy dopamine hit.

Then I have to sort through the pen drawer. The loose papers. The random sticky notes.

Takes another 40 minutes for stuff that barely fills a shoebox.

The small stuff doesn't move fast just because it's small.

The big moves give you energy. You see progress. It feels like momentum.

The details drain energy. Progress is invisible. It feels like you're stuck.

So we try to push through. Power through the detail phase on the same energy that carried us through the big moves.

It doesn't work.

Details require different energy than big moves. They need focus. Patience. Fresh eyes.

If you try to do them exhausted, they take even longer and come out worse.

When you finish the big stuff and hit the detail phase, don't push through.

Take a break. A real one. A day, a week, whatever you need.

Come back with fresh energy for the next phase.

The details deserve your best attention, not your leftover scraps.

Your finished product depends on getting this phase right.

Think about a project you're working on.

Are you in the big moves phase or the details phase?

If you're in details and feeling drained, stop. Don't try to push through today.

Take a break. Come back tomorrow with fresh eyes.

The last 10% deserves 90% of your focus.

What detail phase are you stuck in right now?