They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this begins the topic of this explainer for the Engineering world. This is something I have being wanting to discuss for some time as I've seen this span across several disciplines of Engineering science. "The last 5% is a mile long" is a phrase that refers to the idea that the final stages of a task or project can often be the most difficult and time-consuming, even if they only represent a small percentage of the overall work. This can be due to a variety of factors such as unforeseen obstacles, complexity, or the need for precision and attention to detail. The saying suggests that despite having made significant progress towards completing a task, there may still be a long and challenging road ahead before it is truly finished.
This could be the defining difference between an amateur and a professional in any engineering profession. I like how young engineers who inspire to make new innovative things dream big, and not yet subjected to all the past paradigms that may have thwarted those in the past to their final limits. It is good to challenge well defined solutions from time to time, but it is also good to stand on the shoulder of giants too. Whatever journey one takes, I hope they follow their passion to the end.
The most important thing I wish to leave is that life is iterative, one may try smaller scale tests or prototyping a proof of concept to see enough evidence that a design will work. If approached iteratively in small incremental steps, this should avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed or analysis paralysis. As the project progresses, one should be prepared to overcome tough and unpleasant obstacles that may arise. This is what I wish to address and provide some tips on what to do when faced with overwhelming challenges.
First, "Learn from the best, and invent the rest", this saying is pretty clear, but to add to it find a mentor! I have come to realize whatever it is in life one is passionate about chances are there is someone else who is as well and they have more experience with it. Find them and learn from them. One has to humble themselves to realize that they must make a valiant effort to reach out to find others so that they do not stagnate in their own studies. Work on a team if possible, and in doing so, we must humble ourselves in that listening to others opens the door to a different perspective on the same problem. Being a good team player and listener can go a long way in life, as well as build new relationships that have other rewards in life.
Second, self reflect the qualities of what it takes to succeed. This is the discipline aspect of engineering, where this deals with persistence and self-motivation to stick with fixing the problem until the end. In this lies the crux of this article. If one believes they can do whatever they set their mind to, they can even change their pattern of behavior and personality over time. This takes faith in oneself to really believe they can succeed, and then find that inner motivation to drive their self discipline to carry it through to the end. With enough practice, the sense of accomplishment from completing a task can serve as evidence of one's ability to succeed and fuel the motivation needed to see it through to the end.