Finishing Is All That Matters

excid3.com

16 points·weslly··3 comments

Too True. A while ago I started designing and developing my projects by using an incremental "Finish First, Polish Later" technique. And it works SO well.

Whatever I'm working on, do the bare minimum and upload version 1 to the server ASAP. UI is missing color? The about page just has my name and website? Everything isn't perfectly spaced out and aligned? I don't care. It works. Version 1 is done. Upload.

1st) Knowing I can start and finish something that quickly motivates me to get started.

2nd) Seeing the project done and uploaded for the world to see creates a feeling of success, relief, and achievement.

3rd) Knowing that everyone in the world can now see my unpolished site further motivates me to keep working on the project quickly so I don't look bad in front of others.

It's been working out really well for me. That's how I got last week's project http://www.residentevilradio.com done so quickly.

That feeling of shipping really really helps you on the next task as well. Shipping a side project like this (nicely done btw!) is great motivation for any work you need to do too.

For me the problem in working on side projects in the morning, is that the motor starts to run, and then it's harder to disconnect my mind when going out to work - at day job.

Of course at night it's harder because we're tired and can easily loose focus, but if not most productive it's easy for me to arrange the time and set more or less half an hour - balancing sleep hours of the week - to end the line of thinking without having to run to the bus to go to work.

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