Plan, execute, analyze, revise… repeat

Learn by doing. I say it to my 5-year-old all the time. And it applies to grown-ups as well. Unless you are that rare individual who gets everything right the first time you try, if you don’t take the time to analyze what you are doing, and make periodic modifications as appropriate, you’ll never improve.

Question: Do you sometimes (or always) feel like you’re starting from scratch, every time you set out to start a new project or new endeavor? Do you feel like you’re constantly re-inventing the wheel?

Here is a suggestion: When starting your next project, take a few extra minutes to lay out your plan before you begin. On a single piece of paper, script out your expectations of your project. Define some specific goals you hope to achieve and how you intend to go about achieving them. Don’t go overboard, just use enough detail to describe what you think should happen.

Don’t worry, your plan doesn’t have to be exactly “right” this first time you lay it out – it isn’t supposed to be. What is important is to actually get your plan down on paper, so you have something concrete to go back to for review. The real work begins – and the real value of this exercise comes in – after you have put your plan into action.

Once you are into your execution phase, carve out some time to reflect on what is happening. What is working? What isn’t working? Use a single, dedicated notepad. Write down your observations throughout the project cycle. Keep these notes safe. They’re going to come in handy soon enough.

When it is appropriate to do so (at the end of the project, or in between phases), review these notes and analyze where things went right and where things went wrong. With this information, go back to your original plan and make any revisions you feel are necessary.

When you are done with this exercise, you will have a much better plan of attack (and maybe more realistic expectations) for your next similar project. And if you keep doing this on each successive project, you will start to see truly amazing results.

When you use your own experiences to sharpen your approach, remarkable things begin to happen. You become more efficient and much more productive. Learn by doing. It’s free, and will save you time and energy in the end, all while increasing your effectiveness in the long run.