The Momentum of Enthusiasm

Sometimes I’m compelled to work furiously on a new project or idea that I’ve come across. Sometimes my new found enthusiasm is unexpected. The notion may erupt from nothing. The cascade of ideas that proceed are unrestrained and unfiltered. The feeling I get could be compared to watching a glass fall from a counter top. There’s no way to stop it, and as soon as it hits the floor the only thing left to do is act.

Ideas: from abstract to concrete

These ideas need to be put down on paper. They need to be taken from an abstract form of thinking and put down on to something concrete. They need to be acted upon right now.

It’s the reason I started carrying a moleskin around with me 2 years ago. If I wait until I get home or the office or wherever, I risk losing some part of that stream of ideas. It’s the equivalent to bottling up lightning. If I stop what I’m doing, and get this fresh stream of ideas out of my brain and on paper, I can return to it and stir up those synapses again some time. When it’s time to pursue them, that enthusiasm can hopefully be uncapped with the same vigor I felt when I wrote them down.

Getting addicted

The burst of ideas is addictive, as Jim Coudal puts it in a podcast called Short Attention Span, Big Dividends. He talks about how the ideas that come from this burst are often easier to fall in love with than it is to stay married. Your brainstormed ideas might not hold water, but it feels so good to get it out of your head and on to paper. Several of Coudal’s revenue streams started by documenting these bursts of enthusiastic ideas. If it’s on paper it’s easier to share it, and it’s easier to refine it, and it’s easier to develop it. How many times have you heard someone say “that could make me some money” but never does anything about?

Enthusiasm fuels productivity

Thinking about the idea of enthusiasm reminds me a lot of how I work. Enthusiasm is fuel for the fire of productivity. If I’m really excited about something, I want to dive in right away. I want to drop everything and plow through it. Sometimes, sadly it’s to the detriment of other projects progress, albeit deadlines are never broken.

Allow me to elaborate with some examples. It takes time to get in the zone to code. Sometimes it doesn’t take any time at all. I can fire up Coda (my favorite text-editor) and get stuff done. However, if my enthusiasm for a project is low, it takes time to build momentum. I’ve found that the key to being super productive is to work on things in order of enthusiasm. But first, here’s why I don’t start with projects in the back of my mind.

Don’t start with so-so

The problem I have with giving higher priority (in terms of work order) to less interesting projects is two-fold: 1) I’m trying to get it done so I can get on with project B, which I’m far more enthusiastic about. You may think, “that should motivate you to get project A done fastest, right?” Wrong, because then my attention is split. And 2) getting things done is all about concentration. If I’m not fully focused on a project I’m more likely to get distracted. I’m more likely to get frustrated. I’m more likely to be unproductive. So for me, starting with so-so is a waste of time.

Start with awesome

This may be hard to swallow for the project managers out there, but if I’m excited about writing a blog post, and less so about working on code (i.e. right now), then I’m going to write a blog post. It’s not wasteful, and it’s not a distraction from the more important thing (code). Hold your horses though, here’s why it works for me.

If I’ve got momentum behind my enthusiasm for a project, I’m more likely to get in the zone (which means higher productivity). I’m more likely to plow through and finish it in record time (faster than if I was unenthusiastic about it). I’m more likely to enjoy what I’m doing. I’m more likely to feel productive. Which is important for morale and whether or not I generate momentum for the less enthusiastic project up next.

Deadlines and distractions

Sometimes life isn’t that permitting. Occasionally I’m distracted with something of high priority that just came up. For instance, I’m working on a logo, and I love it. All of a sudden, a bug surfaces on our web site, brought to my attention by a colleague. I need to stop working on that logo right now and deal with the problem. It’s just like the glass falling off a counter, but I never saw it coming. Not to mention I didn’t work up an enthusiasm for it.

It’s derailed my logo design. This distraction could be potentially crushing my momentum I have for this logo design. It takes me out of the zone, and topples my productivity. But it’s okay, because this bug is really killer, and needs addressed right now. Part of working in at a startup company is being flexible. By diverting attention to the more important matter I’m being flexible at the cost of being less productive. This is sometimes the difference between launching with half the features or launching 2 weeks late. You make the call, it always depends on the circumstances.

Flexibility vs. rigidity

Anyhow, the momentum of enthusiasm is how I get stuff done. Another example: My girlfriend is awesome at prioritizing. She can plan her day starting with the most important things and finish with the little things. She can plow through it seemingly with ease. It’s how she works. She’s enthusiastic about her projects and she’s immensely productive. But where our processes differ is in our flexibility. (I’m not picking on her, but making an observation that we both acknowledge.)

If she’s thrown off by something, if something doesn’t go as planned, her productivity is stifled. For instance: If she forgets something at the grocery store and has to go back for it, she’ll likely be frustrated. Frustration is unsatisfying, for anyone. If I’m frustrated with something, my focus is diverted and productivity slips. But the focus shouldn’t be on not doing things that frustrate you, it should always be on the positive side. Do things that make you feel satisfied. Even if that means shuffling the deck. As long as you get through all the cards, you’re doing it right. That’s my style, and I’m sticking to it.