I am always optimistic this time of year. My mind is filled with all kinds of projects, both big and small. I always have to slow down and remind myself there are 5 stages to successfully accomplishing a project.
Chances are you too have something big in mind for 2020. Knowing the 5 stages of a successful project will go a long way in helping you accomplish your project with ease as opposed to a lot of stress and struggle.
Stage One: Creation. This stage is all about imagination and vision. The possibilities are endless. This is where you put all your ideas down on paper. Be specific so important things don’t fall through the cracks. The pitfall for Stage One is that it can be easy to linger here – planning and dreaming! Once your plans are complete, start taking action!
Stage Two: Lift-off. This is where the rubber meets the road. You will find that it takes about ten times more energy that you thought it would to produce results when in stage two. It’s easy at this stage to give up. You tell yourself “If this was meant to be, it wouldn’t be this hard.” “This was a big mistake!” The best antidote to these internal conversations is stay focused on the end game. Make smaller promises and keep them!
Stage Three: Momentum. In this stage, your project begins to pick up speed. It is characterized by a relative ease in producing results. A pitfall in this stage is the failure to deliver on the promises you generated in Stage Two. When things start to get a little bit easier people tend to start adding on. This is not the time to expand. Don’t fix things that aren’t broken!
Stage Four: Stability. Things are running themselves! All is going great. Congratulations are in order all round! Don’t forget that all systems tend to run down after a time. They tend to lose energy. Be vigilant! Get periodic evaluations of how you are doing.
Stage Five: Breakthrough. Stage five is the opportunity to take your project to the next level. If you want a breakthrough, you must learn how to “let go” of your old ways of doing things.
When you know where you are with your projects, life becomes easier. Whether it is writing a book, starting a small business or running a marathon, knowing where you are serves as a guide that allows you to prepare for the road ahead with clarity, focus, ease and grace.
Once you’ve completed the previous stages, and not before, you can “stand on the shoulders” of work you’ve done previously and grow. Begin at Stage One!
