Discussion Forum > Too Many Ideas
How do you know how long something will take to do if you have never done it before? For example, if I want to do an experimental technique with my artwork which I have never tried - how do I know how much time to allot out of my day? I always seem to grossly under estimate wrongly how long things will take. Is it best to just say I will spend X amount of time on this and stop at the end of that time even if I haven't finished?
December 13, 2006 at 9:26 |
Nicky Perryman
Nicky Perryman
Sorry I seem to have posted the second question as a reply to my first!
December 13, 2006 at 9:27 |
Nicky Perryman
Nicky Perryman
Hi, Nicky, in answer to your first post about the creative ideas, remember the old adage "You can do anything, but you can't do everything".
The image I use in my book Do It Tomorrow is the Menu of Life. If you go into a restaurant, however huge the menu you have to chose a meal that you can eat. If you try to eat the whole menu you will make yourself ill.
It's exactly the same with life. If you think of life's menu as being virtually infinite, you can see that you have to make a selection from the menu that represents a "meal" that you can eat.
When you chose two or three dishes from a restaurant menu, you are at the same time saying no to all the other items on the menu. It's the same with life. Everytime you make a commitment to a project, you should be saying no to all the other conflicting projects. If you don't say that "no" properly, you will always have trouble.
As to which project(s) you chose. I don't think it matters. You could write all your possible projects on a sheet of paper and throw a dart at it. Projects don't come ready made "perfect" - they become what you make of them.
The image I use in my book Do It Tomorrow is the Menu of Life. If you go into a restaurant, however huge the menu you have to chose a meal that you can eat. If you try to eat the whole menu you will make yourself ill.
It's exactly the same with life. If you think of life's menu as being virtually infinite, you can see that you have to make a selection from the menu that represents a "meal" that you can eat.
When you chose two or three dishes from a restaurant menu, you are at the same time saying no to all the other items on the menu. It's the same with life. Everytime you make a commitment to a project, you should be saying no to all the other conflicting projects. If you don't say that "no" properly, you will always have trouble.
As to which project(s) you chose. I don't think it matters. You could write all your possible projects on a sheet of paper and throw a dart at it. Projects don't come ready made "perfect" - they become what you make of them.
December 14, 2006 at 11:23 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
In answer to your second question, Nicky, about how can you know how long something will take when you haven't done it before:
The answer is that you can't. One thing you can be pretty sure of though is that you will continue to underestimate how long any project will take. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to be careful how many projects you take on.
As you suggest, the best method is to restrict the amount of time you are going to work on it. This will also improve your concentration, and will leave you wanting more.
The answer is that you can't. One thing you can be pretty sure of though is that you will continue to underestimate how long any project will take. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to be careful how many projects you take on.
As you suggest, the best method is to restrict the amount of time you are going to work on it. This will also improve your concentration, and will leave you wanting more.
December 14, 2006 at 11:30 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hello Nicky,
I have the same problem as you.I made a list of everything i would like to achieve before i die.
i then chose three which i would have been sorry not to have achieved by the time i am 70.
I then worked out what resources i would need to start work on all 3
i chose the project i had most resources of eg.if i wanted to design a dress i would need a pattern etc i already had a sewing machine, less money to find in order to begin the work ,so this would be the first project.
i would thhen make a list of what i needed to do each day to keep the work moving forward ,i started each day straight after break fast and worked as long as i could.
make a commitment to yourself write a meeting time everyday in your diary for you ,and do the project in this time .turn off the phone lock the door and work.
I hope this helps,you can do this 3 times for keeping your 3 projects on the go .You just make three slots of time in your diary.Whilst you are doing this you save for other tools you might need at a later date----keep moving forward---do not judge your work just do it and see what happens
Best wishes Lynda
I have the same problem as you.I made a list of everything i would like to achieve before i die.
i then chose three which i would have been sorry not to have achieved by the time i am 70.
I then worked out what resources i would need to start work on all 3
i chose the project i had most resources of eg.if i wanted to design a dress i would need a pattern etc i already had a sewing machine, less money to find in order to begin the work ,so this would be the first project.
i would thhen make a list of what i needed to do each day to keep the work moving forward ,i started each day straight after break fast and worked as long as i could.
make a commitment to yourself write a meeting time everyday in your diary for you ,and do the project in this time .turn off the phone lock the door and work.
I hope this helps,you can do this 3 times for keeping your 3 projects on the go .You just make three slots of time in your diary.Whilst you are doing this you save for other tools you might need at a later date----keep moving forward---do not judge your work just do it and see what happens
Best wishes Lynda
December 22, 2006 at 0:52 |
artdeco
artdeco
Hi Nicky,
Like you, I am a 'creative' type who comes up with loads of ideas and struggles to get through them. Personally, I actually enjoy coming up with the ideas much more than actually going through the process of doing them. As a result, I have started to adopt a different approach recently.
I have started to pass an amount of the 'carrying out' and sometimes the ideas themselves, over to others who enjoy that aspect more. This means that I get to do what I enjoy most, yet still get the satisfaction of seeing my ideas manifest in the world.
For me this was an extension of my decision to live in a more interdepent rather than independent fashion. Your situation and preferences may be very different to my own and therefore this advice may not apply directly to you but I hope it presents a different perspective for you and others to consider.
Like you, I am a 'creative' type who comes up with loads of ideas and struggles to get through them. Personally, I actually enjoy coming up with the ideas much more than actually going through the process of doing them. As a result, I have started to adopt a different approach recently.
I have started to pass an amount of the 'carrying out' and sometimes the ideas themselves, over to others who enjoy that aspect more. This means that I get to do what I enjoy most, yet still get the satisfaction of seeing my ideas manifest in the world.
For me this was an extension of my decision to live in a more interdepent rather than independent fashion. Your situation and preferences may be very different to my own and therefore this advice may not apply directly to you but I hope it presents a different perspective for you and others to consider.
January 5, 2007 at 0:28 |
Andy
Andy
Read on a blog the other day.. sorry don't know which one... that as an artist shefound that by writing a list of all the ideas in her head, some would jump out at her and she just had to do them ""NOW"". (sounds like AF :) ) and other ideas just faded away. She realised that those faded ideas had to get out of her head and weren't meant to be done they seemed to be just another step towards doing what was really important to her. She now could write down all her ideas with out feeling the pressure of "I've had an idea I have to do it"
So just go for it come up with great ideas and try what you want and discard ideas at any stage if they don't give you the "got to do it now" feeling.
So just go for it come up with great ideas and try what you want and discard ideas at any stage if they don't give you the "got to do it now" feeling.
January 7, 2009 at 1:57 |
Margherita
Margherita
Hi Andy
Can really relate to your comments in that I love designing and creating systems but want to move on to the next creative project rather than the doing. Your advice re interdependence has worked for me in te past but reminds me that I am not currently doing that! AF has already restarted my creativity so I am excited to see where it leads me ...............
Thanks for that!
Can really relate to your comments in that I love designing and creating systems but want to move on to the next creative project rather than the doing. Your advice re interdependence has worked for me in te past but reminds me that I am not currently doing that! AF has already restarted my creativity so I am excited to see where it leads me ...............
Thanks for that!
January 8, 2009 at 1:11 |
Christine B
Christine B
This is the same with me, what you need is an 'idea center' somewhere that you store all your ideas. Although I use a paper based system I use a computer for this as it's just much better at longer term data storage.
Then the key question is 'What next', all you need to know is what is right for now, choose the couple of ideas and projects that matter to you right now, perhaps writing them down and picking ala Autofocus would be an idea. From here just use the AF system as normal to handle these projects and everything else that comes up. Once you have done this, figure out what is important next and then do that.
That is what I am doing anyway.
Then the key question is 'What next', all you need to know is what is right for now, choose the couple of ideas and projects that matter to you right now, perhaps writing them down and picking ala Autofocus would be an idea. From here just use the AF system as normal to handle these projects and everything else that comes up. Once you have done this, figure out what is important next and then do that.
That is what I am doing anyway.
January 8, 2009 at 13:03 |
Smarky
Smarky
I was wondering if you have any thoughts/comments on creative types like me who have so many ideas that to carry them all out would take many life-times. How do you "know" which ones to work on when all of the ideas seem good?