Four Things Needed to Increase the Chance You Will Finish Your Project.

Ever wonder about how to better make sure you "get things done"? Here are four steps you need to make sure you complete your personal or professional project!

1. Find more clarity -  Most people get stuck when they don't know what they want or what to do on a project.  So ask yourself, What do you want to feel on this project?  How do you want to show up on the project?  What specific outcomes do you want out of this project?   For example: I need to do marketing for my business is less clear than knowing I need to create a Facebook ad, measure how many people click on it, and revise the ad if the view/click ratio is less than 10%
2. Find your "reason" to complete the project - Many people get caught up in doing - it's easy to forget why we are working on something. So ask yourself, what cool thing happens to/for me if this project gets complete?  Who else wins when this is complete?  My team, my company, my family?  Another example:  If I plan my family nation to relax, vs I plan my family vacation to make sure I can relax, the kids can see the grand canyon and become more interested in nature, and/or I can spend quality one-on-one time with my significant other to build our relationship even more.
3. Create a plan - If you are clear on your outcomes, and know how it will benefit you and the people around you, then you need a plan.  How can you work backwards from your outcome to make it happen?  What hurdles do you need to overcome, and how can you handle them as your best self?  For instance, if I have a website app I want to deploy, I know I have to start with what I want the user experience to be.  From there, I need to deploy the code to the server, test it, and write it (the start of the project). I know testing usually goes over for these types of projects, so I will have a daily code and bug report until we deploy so I can keep the project on track.
4. Test your plan, and gather data -  "A plan is useless, planning is invaluable!"  Once we have a plan, we need to keep based in reality as we implement.  What metrics will show you the plan is working or on track, and what metrics will tell you to course correct?  What new things need to be addressed, and do they impact the plan?    What I mean is, if you know you need to have 10 people sign up for your new software service, and your current marketing isn't getting people to sign up, it's time to tweak the plan to make sure you get your people.  Maybe you step up your in-person networking game, or maybe you talk to people whom might better promote you.

These four steps work if you are starting a new project, or are already in the middle of a project.  They work if your project is not doing well, or succeed.  No matter what, if you want to increase the chances your project will succeed, improve the clarity you have on the project, the reason why you are working on it, the plan, and how you will measure it!  

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