“Time’s up. Party’s over.”
“We’re at the end of the hour. Guess the meetings done.”
We have a habit of putting the clock in charge and stopping when time is up, rather than ending with intention—which might mean wrapping up sooner rather than later. We tend to focus a lot on first impressions and openings, but forget the importance of a thoughtful finale.
When we merely stop, we risk the conclusion being a “bitter end.” And bitter ends linger and impact how we remember past experiences.
Whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant, we tend to remember and judge an experience largely based on how we felt at its most intense point (the “peak”) and in its final moments (the “end”). This is a psychological heuristic known as the peak-end rule.
So you might as well use the peak-end rule to your advantage and stop stopping so you can end with intention instead, preferably on a high note. A great ending makes it more likely that people walk away from the experience with a lasting positive impression.
