So what have I been up to?

As someone who loves to write, I actually spent it writing some more. And I spent it tackling writing projects in philosophy. 

As much as I enjoyed my last (quite massive) project, I am now happy to focus on this blog and share more new lessons and insights. 

The focus of this article, as you may have already guessed, is about the feelings and attitudes we experience in the process of attempting to complete big work projects.  

Uninformed Optimism and Big Work Projects

I understand a big work project to be any project that requires sustained commitment over a prolonged period of time. It requires a great deal of sacrifice, a great deal of persistence, as well as emotional intelligence.

As with most projects of such magnitude, people typically start out with what Kelly and Connor have called “uninformed optimism.” This is the first stage of the process. Here, people are filled with excitement. They imagine their projects developing nicely and without there being too many obstacles. In fact, at this stage, the process seems fun and rewarding and people tend to feel a great deal of joy (and perhaps a sense of pride) for starting a project they actually care about. If you are one of these people, then you can probably recall those feelings.

Sounds nice so far…

However, how you feel about the project starts changing very shortly after you start taking action: the people who are assigned to do their part are not as committed as you are, the initial investment was too small (or too large – you made the mistake of over-investing too quickly), your target audience was not as excited as you thought they would be about your product, book, artistic work, etc., and the path you are on is growing ever more complex and much more difficult than you anticipated. Worse still, you start feeling uninspired and you’re ready to call it quits.

What has happened?

Well, you have reached the second stage of the process which is known as “informed pessimism.” This is where you realize that things are not going to be as easy or as achievable as you thought they would be. You may even realize that the skills (and motivation) that you currently have and the time you’ve allotted for you to successfully complete this project are simply not enough to help you reach the finish line. Furthermore, it’s beginning to look like you need to develop more skills, to allot significantly more time, and to enlist the help of friends and even professionals. In other words, you now understand that you have to rework your initial (false) assumptions and start over with more realistic (and accurate) ones.

You have Two Choices

At this second stage, I believe you are faced with two choices.

First, to recognize that you made a mistake and quit now to minimize your losses.

Second, to assess whether this project is meaningful enough for you to push through and move forward (but slowly and carefully this time).

Now, however you decide to proceed, it is going to be a tough decision to make. On the one hand, you’re already quite invested (both financially and emotionally) in the project and so it doesn’t feel right to back out just yet. On the other hand, if you decide not to quit now and push through (and things continue to go south), you could potentially be worse off than you already are.

I know how you feel.

So here are the 7 tips that I keep in mind before (and during) undertaking big work projects.

7 Tips to Tackle Any Work Project

Here are my super helpful tips to tackle any work project and make sure that you are making the most of your time.

1. Before you start, do more research than you think you need.

If you are doing research to confirm what you already believe about your project (i.e “confirmation bias” type of research), then you’re doing yourself more harm than good. Be a devil’s advocate and approach your project with a highly critical mind. Get more information than you think you need and anticipate the kind of obstacles you will likely have to address when you actually start. 

2. Talk this over with someone.

And I mean talk this over with someone who is willing to give you honest, straight to the point (and dry) feedback. You will thank that person later. Get in touch with me if you need some direction.

3. You have to be intrinsically (internally) motivated.

Look, if you’re solely excited about the extrinsic (external) rewards of your project, say like money and fame, and that’s the only thing that is driving you, then you’re likely to give up as soon as the money (or the fame) is not there. Choose a project that makes you happy to work on. The more meaningful the project is to you, the more likely it is for you to persist (and maintain a healthy dose of optimism) when the hard times come.

4. Understand that it is going to take a long time.

This is a key point to keep in mind. Don’t jump on a new big project too quickly. It’s like jumping into a relationship too quickly. You will regret it. Take your time, plan carefully, have an exit strategy, have a sketch for plan B (and plan C). 

5. Understand that it is easy to get in debt.

In fact, today it is easier than ever to borrow money and get in debt. But let me remind me, it is mighty, mighty hard to get out of debt (not to mention the stress you may cause to yourself andto your family and friends).

6. If a project sounds right, start work at the same time every day.

I personally start at the same exact time, in the same space, and for the relevant length of hours. In fact, I do three solid hours of work every morning. These are my best hours. Find your best hours and make that a priority.

7. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.

Yes, you do need honesty, but you don’t need jealousy, you don’t need haters. Find people who want you to succeed. If they are not there, trust yourself and work honestly.