“I don’t have any solution, but I certainly admire the problem.” – Ashleigh Brilliant
It’s pretty common these days that I end up starting projects without knowing what the solution is going to look like. As a matter of fact, it’s how I prefer to go about working on projects. It’s stimulating and challenging, and that’s what keeps me hungry as a self-employed entrepreneur. There is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes with rolling up your sleeves, defiantly staring the problem in the eye and diving in to finding an answer.
That said, starting a project without a solution isn’t always the most manageable way to work. Trying to roadmap an open-ended project is quite difficult near impossible.
Here are a few ways to ensure that you won’t get burnt out on looking for that elusive happy ending.
- Start small. Projects can get depressing because we tend to only think about how big they are and how much time they’ll take. Break the problem into parts, instead of looking for a solution for the entire project. It’s much easier to find solutions for small problems than complicated problems.
- Make small timelines. Once you figure out little by little about what it’s going to take the finish the project, start mapping tiny dates that you think you can have X done. Just enough to keep you focused, but not enough to freak you out.
- Frequently review the details. Starting with what you know about the problem is always the best way to find solutions. If the problem is complicated, make sure to constantly be looking over what you know. What you know clues you in on what you need to find out.
- Don’t sweat the details… yet. Worrying about details at the beginning is an easy way to lose focus.
- Think outside the box. Don’t limit yourself to what you know. If you can’t find a simple solution, start thinking big. And crazy. Don’t let limitations hamper your creativity at this point. You’re just trying to get a foothold into the project. The solution will
- Think INSIDE the box. While this is almost the exact opposite as the previous tip, sometimes we try to make complex solutions for complex problems. Instead, try looking for simple, obvious solutions first. Complicated problems don’t always need complicated solutions.
- Ask advice. Sometimes finding a solution means shelving the ego for a bit and asking advice from other people. Another thing: don’t limit yourself to only asking advice from people who you think will know the answer. Sometimes it takes a completely different perspective to solve a problem. Your mom may not know anything about setting up a blog, but she’ll know truths that may help you find a solution.
We shouldn’t look at a challenge as a bad thing. Challenges keep us sharp, and allow us to flex our head muscles every now and again. It’s much more satisfying finishing a project that tests our skills.
Photo by tim ellis
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
That beginning quote is awesome. Made me laugh out loud.
–Clay
“Start small” is one of my favorites. I learnt about this from SARK who calls them micro-movements: http://www.planetsark.com/pdf/MicromovementSheet.pdf
If you have a hard time starting, simply break the task down to ever smalled components. Make a list of what you need to do, make that first phonecall whatever. Anything to get you going in the right direction.
Just getting started is key for me. I recently posted about this on my blog, but I was inspired by http://flylady.net/.
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