It happens to all of us. We get a awesome idea, a world changer, an industry changer even. We plan it out, using some fancy or not so fancy tech; months go by, we make good progress, we near the end; we can see the light at the end of the tunnel…then, nothing. Knowing we could do it was enough, the project never reachs release.
Over the years I personally have gotten better about completing projects I start. One of the best ways was to clearly, and strongly define what ‘done’ means. Then pick half of that to be the target ‘done’. Applying the Scotty Principle but in reverse we can work backwards and figure out how much time and effort would be needed. Gauge that against how much time and effort you’re willing to devote, then divide in 1/2. What can you accomplish in that time frame? That is your ‘done’.
Using this process I have been able to release a number of small projects. None of them were meant to be big, granted, but they got finished and I am happy with the state they are in.
How do you keep motivation to complete projects? Let me know in the comments.
