We rarely think about endings. They often appear to ‘seek up’ on us. And yet, they are a part of almost everything we do. Sometimes they are forced on us, while other times we make the choice. We often leave it too late, trying desperately to resurrect an idea, relationship, job, project and so on. It’s not just us, it’s everyone. So much so that our culture has created a saying – ‘flogging a dead horse.’

We fear endings.

What would it look like if we didn’t? How could we plan for them better? Most projects we work on, come to an end. What it look like to end well? This is different than what ‘impact’ are we trying to have with this project. But perhaps what is ‘rubbish’ we need to pick up? How do we end the relationships built through the project? And so on.

How do we know we are ‘flogging a dead horse’? Who will tell us? Who will we listen to?

Endings are a critical part of life but also any change project. Change makers practice getting good at endings. What about you?

Photo by Sigmund