Notes from Sarah Campbell | January 7, 2022 Non-toxic tactics for finishing a project you care about.
How to begin a new project
Put pleasure at the center of your project work
Are you starting a new project this week as part of your new year energy? If so, I’m sending you cheers! (Confession: I love beginning more than finishing.) I also have a 2022 prezzie for you: my “How to begin a new project" mini-guide.
It’s infused with the spirit and spice of what I’m dubbing “Decadent January,” and it’s all about putting pleasure at the center of your project work.
Hit reply to tell me what you're working on this year. I'm curious to hear what you're all up to!
Beginning again,
Sarah
1. Spark wild, fan with realism.
Be audacious as you dream up your project. Love your bold beginning, and then love it even more with an infusion of realism. It can still be a stretch, still be challenging. Just don’t make it so lofty that it exceeds the bounds of something you can realistically do. Remember, you want this project to come to life, not just sit in the box of beautiful ideas that never came to be.
2. Seek a rhythm.
Consistency is more important than quantity. Daily sessions aren’t always possible. So, find your frequency: some repeatable pattern you can aim for each week. Maybe it’s set days, or maybe it’s a goal amount of time each week, regardless of when. Once you figure out your rhythm, stick with it through flexibility: know that some project sessions might be quite short—as short as a note to self about what you’ll do at the next long session. Consistency is like pennies into a piggy bank: it adds up over time.
3. Create your first ladder. To move your project from thought to table, be concrete and literal. Make a small list focusing only on this week. On this list, write what you will do today, what you will do tomorrow, and what you hope to have done by the end of the week. Ideally, this list should resemble a ladder: each small goal builds off the one before it.
4. Plan for pleasure.
I’m going to be super obvious here: make sure your project is fun. Not just a little—a lot fun. Of course, there may be some parts you’d rather not do, but those should be relatively small in comparison to the big fun. Try the 80/20 rule here: check that 80% of the time you: lose track of time, feel relaxed, and just dig what you’re doing. If not, it may be time to scrap this one for something that’s a better fit.
5. Set the stage. Gather your materials. (Note the “nice extras” but hold off on them until you’re further along.) Clear a space. Hang a workspace motto. Brew tea. Turn over your phone. Draw the curtain. Relax. Begin.
Thanks for reading!
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