MIT Challenge<\/a>, I made my constraints very clear from the start\u2014pass the final exams. Early on I added programming projects to that criteria, but otherwise the goal was clear and constrained. This omitted a lot\u2014I wouldn\u2019t do presentations and I would only do assignments to help me learn the material. But those omissions also made the project feasible.<\/p>\nA good rule of thumb is that a project should have at least three constraints: scope, content and mission. Scope means you constrain the project to be only a certain amount of time or a very clearly defined size. Content means what you\u2019re actually going to do\u2014I chose exams and programming for my MIT Challenge, but I could have gone with something different (say a research project). Mission means you narrowly pick what your project stands for, which then lets you make cuts more easily when things start to grow.<\/p>\n
2) Look for Random Upside Potential<\/h3>\n
Random upside potential is when a project has the ability to push you into new territory and has the possibility of big rewards if it is successful. These kinds of projects usually leverage some of your expertise, but also include a large random component which means you\u2019ll end up needing to learn a lot to keep up.<\/p>\n
I know I\u2019ve found a project with random upside potential if I can get excited about the possibilities of success, but I\u2019m also unsure exactly how to execute the project. Projects which lie entirely within your existing expertise will be more stable, but also lack this random upside potential.<\/p>\n
3) Make it as Big as it Needs, But No Bigger<\/h3>\n
Most projects have a crossing point. Any smaller and they sharply lose their random upside potential, interestingness or impact. The best projects are those picked just past that point.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d love to make a blanket statement that the best projects are three months or only require 100 hours, but I\u2019d be lying. The MIT Challenge was a year-long project, and took thousands of hours. Had I done the \u201cdo a freshman year of MIT in three months challenge\u201d it would have been significantly less interesting.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s easy to let projects grow in imagination. Your idea for an app you want to build on the side starts with a few core features, but then balloons into a monster. Monstrous projects are really hard to finish.<\/p>\n
Executing the Project<\/h2>\n
Once you\u2019ve designed the project, you then need to do all the work. This is the hard part and where most projects fail. Fortunately, if you designed your project well, implementation is far easier.<\/p>\n
I stress the importance of good project design because fixing design errors is far easier than combatting the difficulties of execution. A few strokes of the pencil on a notepad is much easier than altering the discipline, motivation and sweat that comes later.<\/p>\n
1) Be Realistic With Your Time<\/h3>\n
A common mistake is greatly overestimating your willpower and motivation in the planning phases. It\u2019s one thing to say you\u2019ll wake up at 5am every morning to put in two hours on your project before work. It\u2019s a very different thing to actually avoid pressing that snooze button.<\/p>\n
I like to do a test week of a project schedule when I\u2019m still in the design phase to see what\u2019s reasonable. I did a pilot course before I started the MIT Challenge which let me know what trying to do a course in one week would look like for my time.<\/p>\n
2) Work Strictest in the Beginning<\/h3>\n
I started at a class-per-week pace during the first few months of the MIT Challenge. This wasn\u2019t necessary\u2014there were 33 classes and 52 weeks to complete them. However, doing this gave me a cushion for the later classes which could have been more difficult, or if I got burnt out.<\/p>\n
You can overdo this. Starting an exercise plan with a 20-mile run is a bad idea. But your motivation will never be higher than the first few weeks, so use that momentum to lay out good habits.<\/p>\n
My suggestion is to be the most rigid about your work schedule in the beginning, and let yourself relax more as the project stays on target. The early stringency will mean when your discipline wanes later, you\u2019ll still be on schedule.<\/p>\n
3) Set Triggers to Combat Perfectionism<\/h3>\n
Perfectionism is an easy trap to fall into, particularly for those favorite projects of yours you really want to succeed. It can be hard to say \u201cthis is good enough\u201d and move on.<\/p>\n
The truth is, the quality you can execute is relative to what you\u2019ve executed in the past. I\u2019ve met almost nobody that has had a spectacular success from a first attempt without an intermediate level of quality from a less successful prior project. This means perfectionism can become a cancer if the quality you\u2019re trying to achieve isn\u2019t possible from a first iteration.<\/p>\n
The best way to combat this tendency is to define trigger moments where you\u2019ll be forced to move onto a next stage. Setting hard deadlines for milestones and not allowing yourself to fudge them later allows you to perfect as much as you can but pull the trigger when time runs out.<\/p>\n
The Lifelong Project Mentality<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re not already doing a side project, I\u2019d recommend starting one. Although they can complicate your schedule and make life busier, they are one of the few consistent keys I\u2019ve observed in almost anyone who has impressive accomplishments.<\/p>\n
I try to have the practice of always having a side project. If there is a period without a big side project, I\u2019ll take on smaller ones that let me dabble and reflect for the next one I\u2019ll undertake.<\/p>\n
The biggest achievements your life are rarely going to be those someone forced you to do. They\u2019ll be the things you undertook from your own initiative. Execution is a skill and it is cultivated through practice. Side projects are valuable because they instill this habit of making your ideas a reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m a big believer in the power of side projects. This blog was once a side project. Same for the business behind it. Nearly every professional milestone I\u2019ve made was from something that happened in my spare time, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s an accident. Side projects harness the unexpected. While your regular job and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12,4,682],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2881","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-discipline","7":"category-goal-setting","8":"category-nc-learning","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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