Back in 2002, The Onion posted an article about Dell Computers with a headline that read “Corporation Reaches Goals: Shuts Down.” I remember laughing about it at the time because the idea of a company finishing its business was so absurd. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered why.

Unlimited growth is a topic for another blog posts, but the larger issue of when things end is more interesting to me right now. Think about how many projects you’re involved in that have end dates. Social media plans? No way. Website improvements? Never. Twitter accounts? Not likely. Expansion? We’ll stop when we’re done!

I don’t just mean deadlines, although those are important too. I mean, how often do we take the time to stop, look at our work, and decide if it’s been a success? An end date requires us to make yes or no decisions that we otherwise put off. Do we continue or not? Are we doing the right thing or not? Has it worked? We do this with everything from interpersonal relationships to hobbies, family, and even our health and wellbeing.

Entrenched in our desire for constant growth, improvement, and change, is a fear of failure along with a need to have something to look forward to. On the one hand, we’re afraid if we stop it means it didn’t work. And on the other, we’ll have to figure out what’s next. But both of those steps are necessary. They’re necessary for our businesses and they’re necessary in our personal lives.

Projects with end dates are also a whole lot more fun. Think of how many great televisions shows trailed off after a few seasons, and how many book series really should have stopped after the third? When we plan an ending, we get to plan it well. We get to plan it the way we want it, and we get the satisfaction of completing it.

So, the next time you’re putting together a proposal or a plan, (or for that matter a diet, an exercise regimen, or a new hobby) come up with an end date. And when you reach it, take the time to look at how it went so you can make an informed decision about what comes after.