Decide when before what.
If the work is worth doing, then it’s worth deciding how much time we can give it and how often.
Musicians have a click track.
Television has a schedule.
Radio has a clock.
Athletics have a season.
Olympics are every four years.
Monday arrives every 7th day.
Accountants have “month’s end.”
The “All Hands” meeting is every Tuesday at 10.
Rhythm makes the rules.
Recurring events set expectations.
Ritual creates order. It creates beginning, middle, and an end to otherwise unstructured existence.
If collaborating with others, it puts everyone on beat.
If collaborating with yourself, it creates clarity and accountability.
Lists are hard. Time is harder.
Deciding WHEN removes the hardest decision: Where will I find the time?
Few of us ever find time. We need to make it.
I will work on this project for 2 hours every Friday.
I will try this new habit for 1 month then reasses.
I will work out every morning at 6am for 20 minutes.
How far can we get?
Fixed time, variable scope.
How much dysfunction can we avoid if we stop trying to decide when something is done or ready?
All scope is variable. Deadlines are made up.
It’s ready, because it’s Tuesday, and that’s the day we show progress!
It’s done, because the month is over and we were only willing to give this thing one month of effort. (We could choose to spend another month on it now. Does it deserve it?)
How much progress can we make in the time we allotted to it?
Move with time, not against it.
What changes if we can rely on one hour of progress each and every week. When will that hour be?
You have the list. You will always have the list.
First, claim the hour. When that hour arrives, start at the top of your list!
If the work is worth doing, then it’s worth deciding how much time we can give it and how often.
This decision provides relief too. When we can trust that “Tuesday is when we do that” then Monday breathes a bit easier.
If something disrupts us once, we know exactly when we’ll get back on track.
Time continues to move. Move with it.