Table of Contents
What is a project?
A project is a bigger task comprising typically of many smaller tasks that leads to an achievement that usually has a greater, more long-lasting impact. To undertake a big project, one would need to commit more time and resources and display qualities like patience, perseverance and diligence.
Why do I need to undertake a big project?
A big project can be something like gaining knowledge, topping the class or picking up a skill or completing a craft item, etc
How should I undertake a big project?
While there are no clear cut answers, I will definitely provide you with some time-tested methods that have worked while working on big projects. Undertaking a big project will be challenging and following the guidelines below should ease those challenges to make them surmountable.
Plan well and plan deep
As the saying goes, a good plan is a job half done. No big project must be undertaken without planning. Plan out the stages of the project. Divide stages into further sub-stages if needed to get clarity. Fix a timeline for each stage with some buffer added. That should give you the confidence to go into each stage with the intention to close that stage.
You may also wish to run your plan with another friend or experienced colleague to help you discover and plug possible loopholes.
Avoid procrastination
A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. A job begun is half done. Take the first step no matter how ill-prepared you feel you are.
Procrastination usually happens because of the negative thoughts we often harbour
- What if I do not succeed?
- What if I go wrong in the first stage itself?
- What if I get stuck midway?
I am not saying that the above may not come true, but only when you start will there arise a possibility of you encountering these problems. Only then, you need to worry about finding a solution. As they say, we will cross the bridge when we come to it. Let’s not worry about it now.
Do not try to be a perfectionist
The journey is long and you have a long time to improve along the way. One frequent reason why big projects fail is that the person behind the project is a perfectionist. He/ She will not start till the plan is perfect. They will keep planning and planning and no matter how much they plan, the perfect plan eludes them. Thus they never get started.
Have a decent plan. Get Started. You will get enough opportunities to revisit your plan and tweak it to perfection along the way. Often these tweaks along the way that happens from the experience gained along the journey help perfect your plan much more than your initial thoughts.
Do not think of the end goal
Have you noticed that the gargantuan nature of our project can end up discouraging us! The long road to reach our goal post can have a demotivating effect on us. Hence the best option is not to think of it. As long as you are progressing towards the goal, you should consider the going to be good.
As they say, enjoy the journey and not the end result. What you gain along the way from your experience, the mistakes you make, the places you could have done better are all learnings that add up to make who you are.
An elephant is consumed one bite at a time
Slow progress is fine as long it is steady progress. An elephant here is representative of the big project. No mortal undertake a big project and hope to finish it off in a short period of time. The greatest things are created by long hours of effort over a longer period of time.
The Taj Mahal took time. The Great Wall of China took time. The Pyramids of Egypt took time.
Take time to finish your project. Keep the timelines to finish the project realistically. Do not try to squeeze the project into a shorter duration of time.
Nature is the best example of slow and steady progress. Be it the creation of the mighty Himalayas, the sculpting of the Great Canyon in the USA or the making of the planet itself. Each of these masterpieces by nature has taken time of millions and even billions of years.
Even the act of creating the Homo Sapien has been an ongoing story for at least the last 2-3 million years. So despair not.
Have a companion and a competitor to boost your morale along the way
The company of a friend or a co-worker can always increase the chances of you sticking to the project for the full length. The constant encouragement can provide the much-needed energy for you to see the project till the very end.
Similarly, the presence of a competitor can prod you on to achieve more and not give up midway. Each of you will have the same effect on the other person. This can be mutually beneficial.
Celebrate key milestones
Have short term milestones along with time-based milestones for you to mark the completion of stages along your journey. This will not only act as short term goals to aspire to reach for but it will also fetch you the much-needed word of encouragement from your family and friends as they recognize your efforts so far. The significance of your undertaking will dawn on them as you involve them in your milestone celebrations.
Catalogue your journey
The journey is what will stay as memories after the completion of your project. Hence, make it a point to catalogue your journey in the form of photos/videos or journal entries to revisit at a later point in time.
This will also inspire you to take up more big projects in the future.
Have fun along the way
Enjoy the journey. There will be days when progress will happen like magic. Then there will be days that just feel so tiresome. Both ups and downs will be a part of any big project. You will also have your fair share of admirers and fans as well as critics.
The important thing though will be to enjoy your journey. Awareness of these things will make the journey more palatable.
Overall, taking up a big project is akin to rearing a child, getting them through their infancy, their initial childhood years, the troubling teenage years and wondering at what they have become as they transition into adulthood. Remember this and the pointers mentioned above. You will do great in any big project you take up.
