The Problem with "Almost Done"

We were wrapping up a large project and were about 95 percent done. I was feeling pretty good and took a small victory lap by telling a VP we were nearly complete.

Her response jarred me a bit.

“Great job on getting it almost done.”

Wait, what?

It was meant as a compliment (I think). But I flew right past “great job” and locked onto “almost done.”

And she was right.

There’s a big difference between Done and Almost Done.

Think about it.

• That chicken is almost cooked. Go ahead and start eating.

• Your brakes are almost fixed. Go ahead and drive home.

• The laundry is almost dry. Go ahead and get dressed.

Almost changes everything, and not in a good way.

So, as this year kicks off with new projects and initiatives, aim for Done done, not Almost done.

Because Almost done is just another way of saying Not done.