As soon as you finish that project…
By Rajesh Setty on Mon 11 Jan 2010, 12:10 AM – 4 Comments
Photo courtesy: jmtimages on Flickr
As soon as you finish that project…
You may want to celebrate.
You might want to take a well-deserved break.
You might want to go off the grid for a while.
You might want to just not to anything and relax a bit.
Before I make my point, let us just stop and think for a minute about life.
Life, for me, is a series of projects. That was the opening premise of my first book (in US) called Beyond Code (you can download the entire book for FREE here)
In fact, you are always on at least two projects – one personal and one professional – that is if you are lucky. Typically you are on more than two projects. The size and scope of these projects are different but they are right there.
There is no time in your life where you can get a clean exit from one project and move to the next project.
[ Note: Ultra-successful people who have achieved autonomy don’t fall into the category. They are exceptions ]
If you think about it, most of your life is spent on projects (until you achieve autonomy) and occasionally you get spurts of time where you are in-between projects.
The “in-between project time” is tiny compared to the “project time.” If you are waiting for the “in-between project time” to celebrate, you are missing most of your life. That will be sad.
What if you view engaging in your core projects is a celebration of life. That’s where you spend most of your life so why not celebrate it?
If, for some reason your projects are not worth celebrating, then why engage in them in the first place?
Something to think about.
Two related blog posts on projects:
1. Learn the art of managing multiple projects
Related Articles:- Pick Me Up – 24 hour book project
- 10 Ways to Get a License for Inaction
- Ways to distinguish yourself – #57 Focus on the last mile
- We have a project. Can we build a company now?
Posted in the Main Page category.
RSS
4 Comments so far, Add Yours
Rajesh Setty on January 11th, 2010
@Mark, thank you for the comments.
And, you are so right. If you are not enjoying what you are doing, finding something that you will enjoy doing is what you should be doing.
Best,
Rajesh
Steven Diamond on January 11th, 2010
I often forget to celebrate and take myself off the grid when I finish a project. It’s important to do these things, yet somehow I never seem to take the time. Thanks for reminding me! Time to celebrate!
Jarred Alexandrov on January 11th, 2010
Really good perspective! When I had two months off and “nothing to do” I felt bored and miserable until I got on a regimented nutrition plan and work-out routine. I also started one of my blogs. Now I feel horribly unaccomplished when not engaging in those practices. Eloquently said and thank you for the e-book link. – Jarred
Leave a Comment
Mark McGuinness on January 11th, 2010
Excellent point Raj, the key is to work on projects that are a pleasure to DO as well has ‘have done’.
And if you’re not working on that kind of projects (yet)… Maybe fixing THAT should be your next project!