What happens if you don't finish the project? Nothing? If I don't finish a project I'm working on, I don't eat. Well, I'm not that bad off, but my projects do

What happens if you don't finish the project? Nothing? If I don't finish a project I'm working on, I don't eat. Well, I'm not that bad off, but my projects do put the bread on the table. Maybe that's a good test. I find I have a hard time finishing projects which are probably just a waste of my time. Then at some point I realize the project is a waste of my time and trash it. Now I try to guard my time more carefully. We only have so much time on this planet, we need to be careful where we spend it. I think it's too easy for developers to waste time on some shiny new object or taking the time to build something for the sake of building something. They have some itch they want to scratch but ultimately it's not providing value to anyone. Instead, we need to think of our skills as just a tool to provide real value. For example, a developer starting a business will first think about code (should I build it in Rails!?) when that person should really be thinking about the market first (is anyone going to pay for this thing?.) Scratching an itch or coding nothing important is okay for sharpening the saw, or putting in some "garage" time. My Dad spent years building cars in our garage after work. He never finished any of them, but I don't think that was important. I think more important was the process and the outlet. He provided value to customers at work, but then after work was his time to lose himself in his shop. If he finished a project, then he wouldn't have anything else to do!