There are 82 days left in 2025. That’s about 12 weeks. A final chapter, but not a short one. And it’s enough to make real progress if we’re clear on what matters.

The trick here isn’t to cram in new goals or hustle harder. It’s to reset. Clear the clutter, refocus your attention, and shift from planning to execution. And this is what today's article is about: focusing on less, to finish better.

Tip of the Week: Don’t aim for perfection, aim for momentum. 70% done is often good enough to continue moving forward.

Resetting your goals is one thing - resetting your workload is another. If you’re buried in Slack pings, shifting priorities, and surprise deadlines, it’s not a prioritization issue… it’s a system issue.

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The Theory Behind

RAG assessments reveal where we really stand. Red, Amber, and Green status reviews (RAG) help us make sense of where our projects sit. It’s a simple check-in: Red means off-track, Amber means unclear, and Green means on-track. The value isn’t in the labels, it’s in what they make us confront. This time of year, we often avoid the Reds and chase the Greens. But the real opportunity is in tackling the Ambers and making smart calls on what to finish, pause, or let go.

70% done is often better than never shipped. This was drilled into me during my time at Amazon, where one of the leadership principles is “Bias for Action.” In practice, that meant learning to deliver something at 70%, and then iterate. We often overestimate the value of "perfect" and underestimate the momentum of "done". When time is tight, progress beats polish. However, we tend to bias towards making something "perfect" instead of making another thing just "ok." Use the last stretch of the year to move things over the finish line, even if it’s not perfect.

"Letting go" is actually a strategy. Annie Duke’s work on quitting reminds us that success isn’t just about persistence, but it is also about knowing when to stop. Holding onto every goal just because it was once important wastes time and energy. The key is setting kill criteria in advance: clear signals that tell you when it’s time to stop pursuing a goal. Without that, we stick with projects out of ego, inertia, or sunk costs. As we close the year, this idea is powerful. Define what success still looks like, and be honest about what no longer meets the bar. Give yourself permission to practice "Strategic Quitting."

What I’ve Learned

You don’t owe your past self a perfect finish... you owe your future self progress. We all begin the year with optimism and ambition. But by October, reality sets in. Some goals no longer fit. Some lost steam. That’s okay. The worst thing you can do now is cling to a version of your plan that no longer serves you. Reset with intention. Let go of the pressure to complete it all and instead focus on the few things that still truly matter. That shift alone will make the year feel successful.

Make It Happen

1. Do a RAG Status Check: List your current goals or projects and assign them Red, Amber, or Green. Be honest (this is just for you).

2. Define a Kill Criteria: What would need to happen (or not happen) for you to confidently let a goal go? Write it down.

3. Pick Your Focus Projects: Choose 1–3 goals that still feel energizing and impactful. These are your Q4 priorities.

4. Set a 70% Target: For each project, define what “done enough” looks like. Ship it at 70%.

5. Let Go of the Rest: Anything that’s low-impact or out of alignment? Drop it. No guilt.

6. Create External Accountability: Use deadlines, public check-ins, or shared calendars to stay on track.

7. Schedule Weekly Reviews: Every Friday, ask: What moved forward? What got stuck? What’s your one thing for next week?

Finishing two tasks at 70% often takes the same time as finishing one at 100%, and leaving the other undone. Aim for the former, not the latter.

Finishingly,

Jorge Luis Pando

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