Stopping and Switching
31 Jul 2013I set lofty goals in January, and like many of you, I’ve gone after some goals, and nearly forgotten about half of them. These were not the typical new year’s resolution goals. They did not include “workout”, “spend more time with friends”, etc.
I said I wanted to become a world class communicator + developer. That’s a lifetime pursuit, and I’m still going hard after both. I made it to the Grand Canyon with my sister (well worth it), picked up Backbone, and quit my full time gig to work on the secret apps. I haven’t: made it to the top 20 fog committers, picked up nodejs, finished QuestionnaireEngine, nor read the 20 books.
Why I’m writing and what’s worth noting: measurable advancement towards goals happens when you stop working one project and switch directions. Yes, stop working, stop focusing, stop thinking …. stop.
Please hear that I’m advocating for stopping and switching. Just stopping/starting over and over does not challenge you to more effectively deliver a solution. That just enforces already developed mental assumptions. Stopping work and getting a different perspective is invaluable.
Here’s how I try to stop/switch effectively:
- accept what I’m stopping is less than 100% complete.
- stop.
- evaluate impact of recent work.
- compare to pre-start-work goals.
- decide when I’ll next work on the project.
- breathe.
- move on.