a bit about endings and
the little red dog
Once there was a family. There was a mother. There was a father. There was a little boy named Jerry. There was a little girl named Sue. And? They had a little red dog. They all lived in a big house.
Every morning they would wake up then fall down. The mother would fall down. The father would fall down. Jerry and Sue? They’d fall down too.
So would the little red dog.
One day they decided to go on vacation together. The mother left the house, loaded the car and got in. The father got in the passenger seat. Jerry and Sue? They got in the car too.
They were almost ready to go. The car was loaded. The people were there. The doors of the car were closed. All of a sudden, a small door on their big door swung open. Out bounced the little red dog. It got in the car too.
The family drove away. They had a vacation by the seaside. The Mother played in the ocean. The father played in the ocean. Jerry and Sue? They played in the ocean too.
And then out bounced the little red dog.
He played in the ocean too.
When they returned home, the mother got out of the car and went into the house. The father got out of the car and went into the house. Jerry and Sue? They went into the house too.
Some time passed. The car sat in the driveway. All of the people were inside. The story wasn’t finished yet. Something felt missing.
Out bounced the little red dog.
He went into the house too.
Every project we engage with has a structure. Every structure has it’s ‘little red dog’.
The ‘little red dog’ is a signal. It’s a button. It’s a bow. A bit of ribbon. It lets us know that things are over. If this were a stage show, it’s the curtain being drawn.
What ‘little red dogs’ do you have that let you and the others know that something is complete?
Filing.
Shredding.
Burning.
If it burns, it's done.
Also:
Archiving
Cleaning
Sealing
Submitting
Storing
Selling
Resigning