Ready...Set...
“Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.”
Have you ever had a good idea, rushed to implement it, and found that somehow it fell flat for reasons you didn’t understand? This can happen for many reasons, of course, including unforeseen issues arising at the last minute. However, this week we’ll focus on a factor I don’t often hear discussed that can be hugely important—timing. There are several different components to timing I want to touch on that I think are helpful considerations when planning toward a goal. If you at least think through these before taking action, in my experience, you have better chances of success in your final product, whether you’re planning the launch of a book or other product, taking a vacation, or planning a party.
· Time needed to complete your proposed task list. Every task should be given as realistic a time frame for completion as it’s possible to estimate. If you’ve never done something like this before, it’s crucial that you consult someone who has. Otherwise, your guess could be drastically off and endanger the completion of your project if there are dependencies involved—in other words, things that need to be done before, during, or after that task that depend on it. It’s always surprising to me how many people don’t bother to even attempt to think through how much work is involved in any project or step in one, and so much can go wrong when you don’t.
· Preparation. What needs to happen before you can begin? Do you need to find other team members or brush up on some skills of your own before you set the wheels in motion? Are there fears or other resistance you’re feeling that it would be better to deal with before you get started so they don’t wreak havoc on your project once it’s in motion?
· Context. This is a tough one because the factors you could consider may be practically infinite depending on your project, but you should do the very best you can with what you have. What is going on in your life and in the lives of others who will participate in or be the consumers of your project? Is someone on your team getting married this year? What holidays, religious and secular, will fall within important periods of your project? (There are some excellent calendars online that include a wide variety of religious holidays.) What time of year will the project end—in January, when many are trying to turn over a new leaf with New Year’s resolutions, or during the height of summer vacation season? What are people generally interested in or concerned about at that time? Is there a political cycle you need to consider or other projects you need to work around? What’s trendy and cool right now, and how does your project relate to that—for instance is there a popular festival in your vacation destination that you’d like to participate in or avoid? This is a broad area that deserves research and brainstorming with others so you can turn up as many factors for consideration as possible and wisely choose your end date.
· Contingencies. What would you do if you had some bad luck, causing delays, at any point in the project? If the end date got delayed, what would happen, and is there a time when you’d be better able to deal with this? Is there a step in the process that absolutely can’t move?
· Preference. When would you rather be working on the project and when would you prefer that it be finished? If it works to do that, go ahead so as to best preserve your enthusiasm and enjoyment of the experience.
· Cost. Is there a time when doing what’s necessary will cost you less, or when the end product can earn you greater benefits?
· Intuition. This is a wild card category, but considering it can bring important factors to your attention. Putting aside what’s logical, is there any timing that just feels particularly right or wrong to you? You can choose to think of this as your subconscious mind indicating knowledge you have that your conscious mind doesn’t remember. If you have an established relationship with your intuition, you may also know this as a place of intersection with the spiritual part of yourself. Consult your own and ask others to consult theirs and just see what you come up with.
· Summation. When you put all of these together, does any particular timing become the clear winner? If not, don’t be afraid to talk it out with someone you trust to be supportive and to have good ideas when they hear about your choices. Maybe several people. If nothing stands out, sometimes you have to just pick a choice and go. That’s fine, and you probably learned some helpful things in going through this process. Who knows when they’ll come in handy along the way.
If you take the time to look at all of these factors before taking on your next project, you’ll be able to feel more confident that you’ve avoided some pitfalls and chosen the best timing for your efforts. Nothing ever goes perfectly as planned, but when you do your best to strategize intelligently in your initial choices, you’ll have removed every roadblock you could, and that’s better than the alternative! You’ll learn through experience what you might have missed, but at least you won’t be kicking yourself for not trying.