I definitely have a bit of a problem when it comes to taking on new projects. What can I say? I’m super curious!
I get excited about all the ideas that pop into my head, and over the last couple of years I’ve been really working on deliberately thinking about whether these ideas are worth pursuing.
When I first learned how to build websites and blog, a flood was unleashed. Every concept started with a quick domain search and then maybe building a basic site. Then I would set up a Basecamp project and brainstorm a million to-dos.
While it was fine to iterate like that when I was learning to get the process down, it got a bit out of control. The problem was that I wasn’t following through on the real work that needed to be done to take any of these ideas to fruition. I just liked the idea of setting it up.
A couple of years and a bloated Siteground account later, I had to be honest about what projects, or most likely project (singular), I had the time and passion to commit to.
To be honest, I never got it down to just one, but I abandoned more than a few and developed a filter for future pursuits.
Often, all it took was just a little… Pause.
Don’t jump online and grab that domain on my phone in the middle of the night. Think on it for a few days.
How passionate am I about this?
Why do I think it is such a great idea?
Are there other people already doing an amazing job in this niche? (Usually, yes)
What am I going to give up to make time for this?
I found that I had become interested in setting up the blog, but not actually blogging. I rarely sat down to do the writing, to do the actual work.
Time for a change
I decided that taking on new projects, and time commitments in general, was not only cluttering my mind and my hosting account, but also adding up to a bit of money over time as well.
More importantly, tinkering on a bunch of different projects was keeping me from really getting any of them off the ground in any substantial way.
How is this project any different?
When the idea of writing about my sort of minimalist journey began percolating in my mind, I decided that it was the perfect time to try a new approach.
First, as I write this, there is no actual website. I haven’t even bought the domain. If ‘Minimalist, Sort of’ isn’t available when I’m ready, well, I’ll just have to think of something else.
Next, the writing is coming first.
I committed to writing ten articles before I move forward with any of the technical set up. I figure if I can find the time and energy to sit down and actually put words on paper ten times, it’s worth the cost of setting up the blog.
Additionally, my plan at this point is to send off access to my whole Google Drive folder to some other bloggers in this space, like Joshua Becker over at Becoming Minimalist, to get feedback about whether the quality of the writing and the relevance of the topics is worthy of a link or guest post on their sites.
I’ve never done this before. Even though any blogger will tell you that backlinks are the most important driver of traffic and validation of your site, I’ve always just waited for the Google gods to send search traffic my way.
If the quality isn’t there, then I’ll have to get to decide whether the passion is there to dig in and work on the writing. Right now it is, but we’ll see if it stays!
[Update: I sent an article over to Joshua. He said they don’t take guest article submissions, but I figured the attempt counted so here we are.]
My super-minimalist project management system
Finally, I’ve wasted no time on project management. In fact, I may have developed a super minimalist project management system for myself in the meantime.
It’s called a Google Doc, and it has three numbered lists. The headings are Done, In The Works, and Ideas.
‘Ideas’ is a brainstormed list of possible article topics. I add to it as they pop up, and when I make time to write, I just pick on that feels good and go for it.
‘In The Works’ is pretty self explanatory except I’m committed to only having one in there at a time. In the past it would not have been uncommon to have multiple articles going that all need to be finished. This project is as much about seeing things through as minimizing.
I think a lot of clutter in life, mental and physical, comes from all of these half-done projects. This isn’t going to be one of them.
‘Done’ is my list of completed articles (as I write this there are five). Like I said, when it gets to ten I’ll start building the website.
(I guess I got to ten!)
Why commit to this one?
It’s all fine and good that I’ve approached this project differently. In fact, I think it has really been important from a personal development standpoint to do it this way.
But the question still remains….
Why do it at all?
There are a few characteristics of this project that helped it make the cut.
Passion
I have truly come to believe that living the most minimalist lifestyle you can pull off will make you happier.
It’s not just about being more conscious and mindful of the environment, our waste, our finances, and being controlled by consumer habits that have built up over time.
These are real benefits of minimalism, but honestly, for me it’s about the stress.
Being in a cluttered space is stressful. And it is absolutely proven that stress is a killer.
The ease and calm I experience in my minimalist spaces is palpable. I feel it as soon as I enter these rooms and spaces, therefore I seek them out.
Already been in the office all day? Grab the laptop and head into the absolute zen of the guest room (where I’m writing now).
I’ve found that minimizing has had a profound effect on me and my family, and it’s something that I am deliberately exploring in every aspect of my life.
While perhaps I’m not getting there as quickly as I would like, the journey is in full swing and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.
Medium
I develop a lot of multi-media work in my daily life – websites, podcasts, e-learning, video. While I don’t do every bit of the creation, they do tend to be complicated projects. If you work in this area you know how much time is spent bogged down in the details – editing, redoing.
I want one project where I just write. Just words.
Writing is something that I’ve always enjoyed, but haven’t really practiced much recently.
Like any muscle, it’s bound to atrophy and be a bit tight. I hope to loosen the flow of words and flex the creative muscle through this project.
When you read about what it takes to become a better writer, unsurprisingly, the experts say to, well…
Write.
Shocking!
The problem I’ve found with sitting down for a free writing session is you end up sitting there wondering what to write about. With this project I don’t even have to think about what to write. I’ve already brainstormed twenty or more ideas. Just grab one and start.
One more hurdle to progress removed.
I thought it was also important to have a topic that I don’t need to research. The last thing I need is an excuse to open up a web browser and start searching around to verify some insignificant detail. Next thing you know, an hour has passed. Why am I on YouTube again?
Just start writing, and keep going.
So I have an activity I’m passionate about, writing, and a topic which I believe is one of the most positive influences on my life at this time.
It’s been wild to see how moving towards a more minimalist lifestyle has helped me recognize that it’s not just the stuff in my closet that’s cluttering my life.
It’s my thoughts, and distractions.
It’s unfinished projects and the inability to say ‘no’ to things.
It’s thinking that every idea that pops into my head deserves the same attention.
Much like some of those old t-shirts and snowboards, it’s time to let go of my old way of working and creating.
If you’re reading this, at least you know I made it to ten