Turning Your (Part Time) Idea Into Reality

Thomas at The Messy Notebook posted an article on building something real in your spare time. This is a great list for those trying to launch any kind of idea, either full-time or on weekends, after hours, or in parallel to another project.

If you plan on launching anything, make these suggestions a part of your process. Even though you may have used some of these techniques in the past, it is a great reminder for the seasoned launcher as well.

Here is a summary of his 10 points:

1. Set goals – state your goals in specific terms
2. Divide into milestones – breaking a big goal into smaller milestones will help you experience success and not get overwhelmed
3. Make yourself accountable – tell others what you are doing and ask them to hold you accountable. Otherwise, difficulties will cause you to give up faster
4. Something every day – take a small step every day to keep momentum going
5. Don’t force it – switch to other tasks if something is slowing you down. This gives you time to get a fresh perspective
6. Iterate, iterate, iterate – make something simple and add to it over time. Don’t try to create the whole solution in one step
7. Sustainable pace – remember that it may take time to put it all together. Don’t burn yourself (or your family) out
8. Timebox everything – limit your time. Constraints are a good thing, not a bad thing
9. Ruthlessly trim scope – limit your tasks. Constraints are a good thing, not a bad thing
10. Let life intrude – allow interruptions, emergencies, and life happen. Don’t stress. Do your best to get back on track as things settle down

Thanks to Bob Walsh at 47 Hats for pointing me to this post!

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