43 Folders

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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

How Long Is It a Project?

OK, this might sound stupid, but that's why I'm here, right?

It's probably easiest to explain what I mean with an example.

I redesigned a website for my church. The Project was to finish the redesign. That's done. Now, I am mostly responsible for keeping content updated and such until I can have a training session with the staff for the CMS after a big conference we are hosting the first week of August. So, the question is this: Is "Church Website" still a project? If not, do I just stick my NA's on context cards (hPDA, baby!)?

I am in a similar situation with a site I finished for a client a while back. I still do periodic maintenance, and they just asked me to do some design adjustments as well. Is this still the same project? Is it a new project? Somewhere in between?

I realize I could just keep adding stuff to those project cards, but it seems to defeat the purpose really of having a specific goal in mind. Why bother with a project list at all if it's just going to go on ad nauseum infinitum?

TIA
Berko

Chrome47's picture

In regards to the Weekly...

In regards to the Weekly Review, I use the standard "Incompletion Triggers" list from the book. One of the triggers is "Personal (or professional) projects started, not completed." Also "Responsibilities toward ... (family/spouse/professionals/friends/etc.)"

My Incompletion Trigger list will be modified in time, as has been my Weekly Review checklist. (I've added reminders for things like checking my oil, etc.) But yeah, do that Weekly Review. Whenever I've missed it I've found myself thinking, "Okay, I need to be doing something, but what?!"

 
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