3 Tips To Determine If A Project Is Right For You- BEFORE You Commit

Let’s be honest, how many times in the past year have you started a project and abandoned ship midway? Was your intention to see it through? We’ve all been there, in the dreaded space of project abandonment. I too have started a project with enthusiasm and excitement only to not finish it midway. Creating an action plan once you take on a project is imperative to its success, but there’s some leg work that needs to take place before to determine if the project is right for you.
Before taking on on a new assignment, there are certain questions you need to ask and tasks you need to perform in order to commit. Normally, you wouldn’t marry someone without knowing his or her history, habits, etc? Starting a project without the proper homework can send you off to abandon ship midway (or even sooner). Here are a few things you need to consider before taking on a project:

• How long will it take to complete? . Let’s say you want to write a book in six months. Creating an outline will give you a pretty good idea about the amount of writing involved to meet your goal. Be very cautious of the free time you have available to make this happen. If you can only write on Friday mornings for three hours, is that enough time to complete this project in a six-month period. Understanding the time available for the project will give you a more predictable and attainable deadline. Otherwise, if you are working against an impossible deadline, you may find yourself abandoning the book project midway and experiencing frustration and overwhelm.

• Are there other things to consider? If you are writing a book, will you be conducting interviews or doing research on the topic? These tasks are in addition to your writing time but must be part of the pre-work process in order to establish a realistic deadline. You may find that research time alone will push your project past the initial deadline.

• WIIFM Factor- (What’s In It For Me): This part is overlooked and it’s usually what gets professionals off track. You need to feel personally satisfied with the work you are doing. Whether the idea is to contribute your time to a project without expecting anything in return or expecting certain compensation- you have to feel that your time, your efforts, and your expertise are being used for the greater good. It’s hard for some to admit they need gratification but the reality is that one of the basic human needs is to feel wanted and appreciated. If you are spending your time, your energy, and your knowledge in a project that doesn’t allow for gratification- you will abandon ship and feel resentment in the process. Therefore, ensure the project allows for you to feel important and instrumental in its success.

Doing the pre-work before deciding if a project is right for you will decrease the chances of you not finishing what you started and creating a negative habit. By following these steps, you may discover the project is not right for you at this time, before you commit. Take the time to do the three steps and set yourself up for success.