Finish a project properly: the check step and the retro
Nothing goes straight from doing to done. Add a check, run a short retro from the record, and make each lesson change a note, a template or a recipe.
Most projects end by being forgotten. This guide gives them a proper ending: a check that the thing worked, a short look back built from the record, and one lesson that changes how the next project runs.
What you need
- A project that's nearly finished, in the Data Base's Progress pack or in Project Management.
- The Project frameworks library (from the Progress pack's extra tables).
In Project Management, use a review state (for example In review) the same way as the check stages below.
The check stages
The Progress pack's project progress field already has the check built in:
| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
in-progress | Being worked on |
finished-reviewing | Done, being reviewed: is it what was asked for? |
finished-validating | Checked against reality: does it actually work? |
finished-testing | Tested where testing applies |
finalized | Closed, with its lessons saved |
Tasks have finished_reviewing and finished_validating before closed. Use as many check stages as the work needs; for most personal projects, reviewing alone is enough.
1. Move it to review, not done (2 min)
The Wi-Fi project is finished. Move it to finished-reviewing.
2. Run the retro from the record (10 min)
Save a retro framework once:
Save a project framework called "Retro" of type project-management: what we planned, what actually happened, how long it took against the plan, what went wrong, what to keep doing, what to change.
Then, for each project:
Run my Retro framework on the Wi-Fi project. Use its tasks, when they started and finished, any comments, and linked notes. Ask before saving anything.
3. Make the lessons stick (5 min)
| The lesson is about… | It changes… | Example (made up) |
|---|---|---|
| How to do something | A how-to note | "Turn off router auto-updates after any reset" |
| How you work | A framework | Add "check in a week after finishing" to your Launch checklist framework |
| The AI getting something wrong | A recipe or agent instructions | The capture recipe stops filing receipts as tasks |
4. Finalise (2 min)
Save the retro as a note, link it to the project, then move the project to finalized.
(In the Data Base the link is the project's refer_knowledge field.)
Check it worked
- The project went through at least one check stage before
finalized. - The retro is saved and linked to the project.
- One note, framework or recipe changed because of it.
Next
Your weekly review picks up retros automatically, because they're records like everything else.