As I begin something new, venture into unknown territories, there is a sense of purpose and great motivation. This motivation is a drive to learn the process, understand the details and eventually say something worthwhile. The process has kept me busy the last couple years.
As I have waded through waters, shallow and deep, an understanding about "the process" has emerged. There are struggles when you start out and its not easy. There are a few gifted people who can make it seem easy but they have put in the effort too (and made mistakes).
The process always starts out with great excitement and you understand the precursory details. The initial focus is on getting the first idea (or project or product) out. Sometimes in haste, I have missed on deep thought and analysis of various facets, possible impediments and pitfalls in the process. The planning stage is critical for it lays the foundation and the precedent for future work. It is worthwhile to take some time, relax and get to a drawing board. Initially, it is very hard to keep track of all the facets and how they connect, this however changes with practice. As I see repeated patterns, I have been getting quicker at processing it and analyzing the pitfalls.
The execution stage is equally important, planning is for nothing if I botch up the execution. The major impediments to execution are: lack of skills, time and money. These three are somehow interrelated and only the right optimization will yield in good results. During execution time, uncertainty on any of three parameters cause a lot of stress. It is important never to be overwhelmed. The best idea is to take it one step at a time, baby steps as I remember it. It is better to take the time, learn the skill or find more money to get the execution right. Of course this does not mean "get it perfect", although I have obsessed on perfection it is unwise and an unending saga. The project should be good enough and the focus should be on the details. Taking the small extra step to add in details makes your end product stand out. The most important principle to rely on during execution is KISS (keep it simple, stupid).
