Two Questions You Have To Ask When Defining Outcomes

Posted on March 17, 2008 by LJ

Photo by e-magic
As I looked at my project list in “Why You Should Find Time To Think”, I realized that most of my projects did not have outcomes. How would I know when I could check them off?

But then I realized that it wasn’t enough just to know what circumstances in which a project was done…there were two questions to consider before even taking on a project.

Do I have enough money/time/resources to get it done?

Before adding a project to my list, I have to consider if I have enough money/time/resources to actually get it done. If I don’t, then the project should not become “active”.

Usually the project will crash on the time category. I seem to have perpetually more time in my mind than I do in reality. This has, in the past, led to a glut of projects, none of which actually get worked on.

How will it impact what I’ve got going on?

Sometimes I may have a project in mind that I feel I can take on, but perhaps concentrating on what I’ve got going will actually get it done quicker. In “Finishing Projects”, I looked at the experiment of finishing what I have on my plate before taking on new projects, and I find that I actually get more done when I have less going on. And it’s not a matter of lack of time. It’s a matter of being able to make more progress with larger chunks of time.


Photo by e-magic

Related posts:

  1. Update on Finishing Projects
  2. Making Real Progress: Make a list of things you would like to finish up from last year.
  3. Using Resources Wisely
  4. What’s in My Weekly Review
  5. How To Thin Out Your Next Action List

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