With Cindy and Ben working and Robyn in Calgary, this Sunday was actually a good time to keep working on my next project. I thrashed for an hour or two before I had to stop and figure out what was bugging me.
Often times I get so eager to get moving forward that I start in the middle and start writing. That's fine up to a point but sooner or later I need to step back and reset.
That's where the Shipit Journal comes in.
Seth created the journal several years ago as a way to document the fears around projects right at the start, so you could call them out and then deal with them. It's also a good way to look at your project from several angles so that you can identify everything that needs doing.
In my case, I was starting the 'doing' without really identifying all the pieces that needed to get done. So my head was full of ideas for other stages of the project. And a cluttered mind doesn't do great work.
So I took an hour and filled in the Shipit Journal from front to back. It was well worth it - even though this is a solo project, I was able to identify several areas where I could get some outside help. Plus, I wrote down all the areas of the project that needed good planning and design, from the pre-launch through to finding sponsors and partners. All in one little booklet.
Back in the day, Seth made these booklets in 5 packs so your whole team could fill them in. But they are out of print. I was lucky to get a paper copy as part of my altMBA package, which is photocopiable. (new word!)
There's also a free PDF version online, which is what I used. I still can't bring myself to write in a book. Sigh...