As a software developer solving all kinds of problems every day, I have new ideas for side projects quite often. To be honest, most of them are useless and shitty ideas, but sometimes an idea that makes me feel excited pops into my head. Right after this new idea comes, I start to wonder about the big picture: "which database will I use? How should this be called? Where am I going to host it?", and I bet you already know where it ends. Yeah, I wonder about these side things for days/weeks, and I end up doing nothing, zero code.
Looking with more clarity into this recurrent sequence of frustration steps, today I reminded myself about a lesson that I have learned from DHH and Jason Fried's Rework book about inspiration:
"Inspiration is like fresh fruit or milk: it has an expiration date. If you want to do something, you've got to do it now. You can't put it into a shelf and wait two months to get around."
This is such a simple thing, but also very game-changing when you apply in your own life. We quite often get pumped about building something, but we quickly have the bad idea of saying to ourselves that we'll do it later. Don't do it! Later you won't be pumped up about it anymore. If you are inspired on a Friday night to build that thing you want, just jump into the middle of it. Don't waste time thinking about all those things that have to be done around it that does not make you feel excited: do it latter.
Just build it
A few weeks ago, after watching a Hashiconf talk, I got really excited about learning Go. In that same day, I started by taking the Tour of Go, I have read some core stuff that allowed me to proceed in a more smooth way, and boom, in a few days I was able to contribute with a feature for a Golang open source project. It may not sound like a big thing, but well, I don't remember the last time I went from zero to actually doing a real thing I felt inspired about without wondering a lot of things that kept me away from it.
Inspiration is powerful (cliche, but true). People get so much more done when they feel excited about what they are doing when there is inspiration working in our favor. A few hours of inspired work may give you the will you need to accomplish so much more than an entire week of struggling work. Inspiration will not wait for you though. "It's a now thing". Whenever you feel it, grab it, and don't let it expire!
If you liked this post, consider sharing.
What other things you think can help us to get things done?
Top comments (5)
After a lot of trial and error, I've found that inspiration is not just perishable, but totally unreliable. It allows me to do a bunch of work in brief sprints--but then it's followed by a long period of unmotivated stagnation at best.
Discipline is far more reliable--slow and steady. I don't get nearly as much work done each day, but I do get some work done each day, and consistency seems to be far more important that any other quality when it comes to doing good work.
Wow! That makes sense indeed Brennan. Thanks for sharing!
It's a good point and perhaps there's a way to invoke sustainable inspiration, and somehow keep inspiring yourself to continue doing what you wanted in the first place.... If anyone has any other tips let me know!
Exactly Ben! I wish we all could have access to these inspirational moments whenever we want... Let's keep trying while it doesn't happen hehe
Very nice article 👍👍👍