Find deadlines.

Lesson: Goals that aren’t exactly aligned, but close enough, can generate more than their worth by the deadlines they create and the purpose they give.

I can be a bit of a perfectionist. I need deadlines to give me focus and get to good enough.

There are so many things I need to do, it can be paralyzing and overwhelming trying to juggle it all. I need an external force to help me prioritize my tasks and focus.

Example

The Melbourne University Accelerator Program has pushed me to build a pitch deck, a website, record a 90 second video, refine my vision and purpose, and build a financial model. All in about 2 weeks.

I don’t think I would have done any of those without this deadline, and potential promise of 20K funding.

I’ve refined my Pitch Deck every day of the last 2 weeks and its still not done. It won’t ever be done. But every refinement is making it better. I started too generic, then too specific, but then in the wrong direction, and now too long. But I’m putting it out there and I’m getting feedback and I’m working on it, and I don’t think I would have it it weren’t for MAP.

So What Now?

Find deadlines for yourself. Commit to things that might feel optional, but which are aligned with your direction as a way of forcing you to put in effort and learn and move forward, even if it is tangentially.

I don’t expect I’ll get into the MAP program, but applying for it has moved me much further forward than i would have otherwise.