Why you should stop working when things go well

I used to finish every work session by completing what I was working on. I would typically stop only when I hit a road block, exhausted.

But then the next morning? I'd sit down and stare at that road block. It felt like starting from a really hard place. That resistance to begin again was often worse than the actual work.

Then 2 years ago, I came across a technique that Hemingway (yes, the writer) apparently used. He would stop writing each day not when he was stuck. Instead, he stopped when he knew EXACTLY what came next. Sometimes mid-sentence. He called it keeping his "juice."

That was quite a lightbulb moment for me. Counter-intuitive at the surface, but it made so much sense. I started doing the same. And it changed how I work most of the days now!

The Hemingway Bridge

The idea is simple: stop when the next step is clear and easy. Leave yourself a 'bridge' to walk across tomorrow, not a mountain to climb.

Here are a few ways I've been using it:

Content: I write until I am somewhat in flow..and then stop. Next day (or after a break), it feels quite easy to continue.

Presentations: I write the first three bullet points of a section I need to build out. The hardest part (figuring out what to say) is already done.

Coaching prep: I jot down a few areas I want to explore with a client. When the session comes, I'm already in the right headspace.

The key? Stop when you still have momentum. Not when you're exhausted or stuck.

It feels counterintuitive. Why would I break my own flow? But your future self will thank you. The hardest part for many people is to get into flow, not the hard work itself.

My challenge for you this week: tonight, before you close your laptop, leave yourself one "stupidly easy" next step for tomorrow morning.

What happens when you try it?