Clarify the finish line

What changes today

The outcome note gains a finish line.

Instead of delegating from a vague desired outcome, you add 3-5 lines that make the result easier to judge.

You are creating

A What done looks like section that turns the note from a container into a judge.

Before:

• desired outcome is written
• "good enough" is still implied
• review would depend on memory

After:

• 3-5 visible criteria define what good enough means
• delegated work can be reviewed against the note

Copy this into your note

## What done looks like
- should [observable condition that would make the result good enough]
- should [constraint or boundary the result must respect]
- should [detail someone could use to judge the result]
- should not [what would make the result unusable]

Answer in your note

• What finish-line detail might matter most?
• What detail might someone need to judge whether the result is good enough?
• What boundary or constraint might prevent a bad result?
• What decision might make other details easier or unnecessary?

Examples

Weak finish line:

## What done looks like
- should be good
- should include the important parts
- should be ready when AI gives me a draft

Better finish line:

## What done looks like
- should make the desired result clear enough to judge
- should name the main constraint the result must respect
- should show what would make the output usable
- may describe something that would make the result wrong or unusable

The better version does not need to be perfect. It gives the next delegation a target and gives review something to compare against.

Checkpoint

• The outcome has 3-5 lines under What done looks like.

Use Smart Plugins to make this easier

• Surface related notes while the outcome is in view.

  • How I link notes without spending time organizing or searching in Obsidian
  • Use this when an existing note might clarify what good enough should mean.

• Search by meaning when you have a specific question.

  • Smart Lookup search workflow
  • Use this when you remember the idea but not the exact note, phrase, tag, or filename.

The tool helps surface past ideas and reference material. You still decide what belongs in What done looks like.

Same loop, bigger outcome

For a simple outcome, What done looks like may be just a few lines. Anything less might indicate that the outcome should be part of a bigger outcome.

A bigger, more complex, outcome may require a significant number of details or even be separated into sub-outcomes. But the process remains the same.