The Final Sprint
The year isn't over yet
Kyle McGovern wanted to start a YouTube channel interviewing elders to preserve their stories. For years, he researched, watched documentaries, and imagined what it would be like when he finally started.
In the last live lesson of Act Two, we were pushed to make one final sprint to the finish line. Kyle had already called Giuseppe — a 95-year-old piano teacher he’d found through Sandra Yvonne — twice for an interview. No answer either time.
But with minutes left, he dialed again.
This time, Giuseppe picked up.
Agreed to be interviewed.
And a few days later, Kyle set up another.
After years of waiting, it came down to days of doing.
You probably have your own version of this.
Maybe its a project sitting at 80% or an idea that’s been living in your notes app for years.
Chances are it won’t happen at the turn of the year.
Because January is where old ambition gets buried under new plans.
The energy you feel right now, that restlessness with the year slipping away, disappears the moment the calendar resets.
You’ll enter January the same way you entered this year — still planning, still almost ready, still waiting for the right moment that never arrives.
So let’s use the deadline you already have.
Thirty days.
One project.
And a finish line to get things done.
How to Run the Sprint
Step one: Pick one thing
Not three things. Not five ambitious goals for next year. Just one project that if you finished it before December 31st, would make you proud.
Write it down and be specific.
“Launch my newsletter” is better than “create content.”
“Record my first video” is better than “figure out YouTube.”
If you can’t name it in one sentence, you haven’t decided yet.
Step two: Find the gap
What’s actually missing between where you are and done?
Most projects stall because the next step feels too big. Break it down until the next action is so small it feels almost embarrassing. For Kyle, that next step wasn’t “build a YouTube channel.” It was “call Giuseppe again.”
So ask yourself: What’s the one thing I could do tomorrow that moves this forward?
Step three: Set your checkpoint
December 31st is the finish line, and to get there, you need a series of checkpoints in place.
Set calendar reminders for December 7th and 14th.
What must be true by then?
Write it down in detail. Tell someone. Make it real.
Title the reminders as ‘Project Checkpoint.’
When they ping, you’ll know instantly whether you’re building or drifting.
Step four: Protect the time
Sprints are fast paced and only work if you’re dedicated.
So if this project matters, you need actual hours on your calendar.
Look at the next four weeks.
Where can you carve out focused time?
Early mornings. Weekends. Lunch breaks.
Wherever it fits, block it now in your calendar.
Because the project that lives in your head is always going to stay there.
What would you be proud to have done before the year ends?
You already know the answer. You’ve probably known it for months.
The only thing left is to start.
Thirty days. One project.
Make the call.
Make it happen.
The only deadline that matters is the one you actually use.
Talk soon,
Pranav
P.S. You can read Kyle’s full story on Citizens of the Internet here