studio non troppo : mindful design : facilitation

Photo: akunamatata

Working on a big project can be compared to climbing a big hill.

The thing is, with many really big projects, the experience goes something like this: 1) you start climbing, realizing it’s going to be a long trip, 2) you push onward and upward, push, push, push, putting one foot in front of the other, 3) you see the summit before you, and just as you reach the top, 4) you discover it’s not the top at all, just a brief leveling off before angling upwards again.

The psychological effect of this is heavy fatigue. We tend to allocate the energy to ourselves that we need to accomplish the task we have identified, so if the work doesn’t let up where we think it should, that can be a heavy blow.

Imagine a marathon runner reaching the finish line tape, only to read a note pinned there: “today’s marathon is 30 miles instead of the usual 26.2 miles. Thanks for your understanding.”

In these really big projects, such as starting a business, you need to approach it as a long haul. In particular, think of it as a haul indefinitely longer than you think it will be. It’s not that you should be trying to play a mind game with yourself, trying to trick yourself into lasting longer. Instead, make sure every work step, on average, includes the rest and nutrition you need to keep going.