I learned a lot from working on my nature photo album. I wanted to apply those lessons to my current project, so I put them into a handy list. Now I’m going to post the list here, where I can find it any time.
- If the project is too big, break it into smaller pieces.
- Keep track of what you’ve done, what you’re doing, and where you’re going. Don’t throw away anything until you’re done, because you never know when you’ll need to backtrack.
- Look for better solutions. Just because you’ve found a workaround doesn’t mean there’s not a better solution. Do what you have to do to keep your forward momentum, but don’t give up on the idea of a better solution until you’re absolutely sure there isn’t one.
- Work on the project every day, and do not stop until it’s done.
- Accept that there will be mistakes. Better done and flawed than never done.
- Ignore the voice that says, “No one will like this. This has no value. I am wasting my time. This is a stupid project, and I am stupid.” It doesn’t know what it’s talking about.