If you are working on 5 different papers that are 95%, 90%, 85%, 75%, and 50% completed, you are only .95*.90*.85*.75*.50*100=27.3% of the way to your goal.
I can't decide if this is a problem of compounding interests, a problem of compounding disinterest, or both.
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@WeedenKim
It's not clear to me why you would multiply here instead of averaging. Imagine that you wanted to finish two papers and that you completed one but had not yet started the second. I would say that you're halfway (50%) instead 0%.
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@OSorenson
So, you're saying I'm trying too hard to work in a joke about compounding disinterest ...
I think the real challenge is to adjust for the fact that the last 33% of a paper takes 50+% of the time and energy. (See also the third trimester of a pregnancy.)
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@WeedenKim
I write this out of self interest b/c if the right answer is multiplying it's a little too depressing for me.
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@WeedenKim
Clearly, you should be adding here. You are 395% of the way to your goal. Congratulations!
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@WeedenKim
What about all of those papers you think, dream, or write in your head? Do we add those but at 0%? Parish the thought.
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