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It’s easy to see how technical debt piles up because it has very obvious, measurable consequences (delayed release times, lack of agility, missing deadlines, etc.).
In the same manner, we also accumulate other types of decision debt in our lives with less conspicuous consequences. Here’s my true story.
The freelancer who learns the hard way (that’s me!)
Fresh into freelancing, I was really (and still am) excited to work with some awesome clients!
Even though I got to set my own deadlines (for the most part), I was so eager to get to work, deliver results, and ship projects that I miscalculated how long it would take me to get that work done.
This translated into “optimistic” deadlines that pushed me into overdrive because missing a deadline or not delivering on my promise is something I find unacceptable on my part.
Speaking to the metaphor I chose, I accumulated decision debt because I didn’t spend enough time understanding the choice I was about to make.
The real-life consequences of my decision debt were that I worked around the clock throughout March. From the moment I got up until midnight (and sometimes past that), on weekdays or weekends, I typed away at my laptop furiously.
It was unhealthy and it took a toll on me, just as you’d expect. From poor sleeping to back pain to RSI, I added plenty of issues to my plate that I didn’t need.
I’m not telling you this to complain but rather to out my mistakes so you can learn from them. Plus, writing about this helps me get clarity and nudges me to do better by myself going forward.
The thing is, this is not new for me. I’ve been overcommitting for more than a decade. I remember writing 12 essays in one afternoon as I was preparing for an English olympics in high school.
Pushing myself to overcome my limits is something I engage in constantly, but there’s a fine line between that and making shortsighted decisions.
How I plan to avoid decision debt going forward
I had read articles and listened to podcasts that emphasised what freelancers go through when they first start working on their own.
You’re caught between the fear of not making enough money and the desire to get shit done. This pushes you to make decisions faster. As a consequence, you end up underestimating how long it’s going to take to sync your workflow with the client’s, how fast the feedback loop can work and other such things.
Everyone wants to make things work as fast and effectively as possible but, even with the best intentions at heart, life happens and things get in the way.
Now that I’ve looked my mistakes in the face, I have a small plan to help me calibrate my efforts going forward.
I’m going to:
- spend more time in the exploratory phase, so I can learn more about my customers (what assets they have, what information they need to gather, how long it takes them to reply and provide feedback, etc.)
- set clearer expectations about what I needed to proceed (materials, clarification, numbers, etc.)
- factor in some flexibility in terms of deadline that’s dependant on the agility of the workflow
- work in off days so I don’t increase the pressure I put on myself in case I get sick, feel depleted or have non-work-related issues that take time and focus away from my projects
- set up KPIs so I can track and evaluate progress to understand what works and what doesn't.
Adjusting to and planning for high unpredictability is one of the most difficult abilities to master. It’s also going to be one of my future newsletters, as soon as I get a strong grasp of what can make a difference in this area.
These things take time to figure out. I hope we can all learn how to be more patient with ourselves and others.
Have a great Sunday and thanks for reading!
PS: Don’t forget about the 1-anniversary giveaway!
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