It’s the time of year when we’re all planning our next set of projects. What shall we tackle in 2022? So many exciting things to do!
Here’s a handy framework to prevent yourself from making your projects too big, inspired by a successful project from the 18th century.
- Estimate the amount of work you will personally get done
- Note: if you tend to overestimate what you are able to get done, you should take that into account at this step. Remember – projects often take longer than we think, even when accounting for projects taking longer than we think in our estimates.
- Cut what you will do in half: make that the scope for the entire project
- Recruit several friends to help, each committing to an equal share in the total work. Ideally, at least one would be willing to do the whole project themselves.
- If you have exceptionally productive friends–think future presidents or Supreme Court justices–expect one that one won’t finish and one’s work won’t be good enough to include
- Do the work you originally planned–and overdeliver.
If you need catchy music for inspiration, feel free to refer to the source document.
Happy planning!