For the past few years Henrieta and I have been working on a special project. We went from concept, to researching everything we could around it, to creating our vision for it, and developing a plan of action. The process has not been quick or easy, a lot of time, discussion, and thought have gone into each step. Now we are at the last step, and this step has a lot of emotions and energy attached to it. Now is the time for us to put our planning and hard work into action.
It does not matter if they are personal or professional, actions are not always as easy as they sound, especially when a lot of time has been spent laying the foundation and planning a direction. In some cases, there are different emotions attached to our taking action on a project. Fear and anxiety are just two of the emotions that can slow the steps that move us towards our projected results. I recently decided to make an extremely difficult meal for a special dinner, the recipe even said, right at the top, “difficulty level: difficult”. I did not let that little note sway me one bit. The ingredients to make this meal were awfully expensive and I had never used some of them before. Lots of time was needed to prepare the ingredients before I was even able to begin the cooking process. I planned, I shopped, I prepared the meal, and I have to say that my son and husband loved.. the Popeye’s chicken that we ended up eating when the meal came out inedible. A lot of emotions went into this process, I was excited to plan this unique meal, I was nervous about the process, I was unsure of my abilities, and I was crushed when we could not eat it. I must admit that I am now afraid to try anything like this again.
On the other end, a personal and/or professional project can be easy to act on. The progression makes sense and there might not be a lot of steps and planning involved. This could be a project that you have done before, or have done often, then, the execution is quick and the results predictable. Preparing a favorite recipe is an example of this. There are some things that I cook all the time. I do not have to refer to the recipe and know what ingredients need to be added, when to add them and at what temperature and for how long to cook it. In a project like this taking action is easy, making these favorite dishes are enjoyable, and the results delicious!
When moving into the action phase of any project let’s keep in mind that the road might not be straight, easy to follow, or without bumps. My husband and I are currently working on our deck, we planned what we wanted to do, shopped for the necessary materials, and set a date to start the work. We planned on the project taking 3 days, we are now on day 10 and have a few more days to go. Weather, the need for extra materials, and a change in the design extended our little project. We were in the action phase of the project, and needed to be flexible, open to change, and put in a little more work to complete the project.
That special project that Henrieta and I have been working that I mentioned earlier has had some bumps, and twists in its road. More than once we have needed to do more research and change our vision a bit, but our teamwork and our passion for this project have given us the drive we need as we are currently executing our plan of action.
Reflections:
What are some projects that you have acted on? Were there any roadblocks?
Using past projects as a guide, how might you approach your next project differently?
How have you navigated some of the roadblocks and bumps in your personal and professional projects?