A couch-to-5K plan for your project

It doesn’t need to look like this to feel like this. (Image by alan9187)

It’s good to steal helpful tactics from anywhere you can find them.

So many of the interesting solutions I’ve come up with were adapted from other industries or disciplines for application in my own.

One example is the “couch to 5K” concept that gets beginning runners into action to the point at which they are able to run and walk continuously for long enough to complete a 5K race.

A program like this is built on the idea that starting small and building from there can help us to avoid discouragement and reduce the risk of injury.

I wonder: What would a couch-to-5K program look like for the development of a creative project?

Maybe not “couch to success,” but perhaps “couch to launch”?

After all, the couch-to-5K people aren’t trying to win the race. They’re just trying to get to the end of it. We can do the same thing.

Just like in the running program, we would begin slowly. We’re not running yet, but walking.

Assuming that we already have a basic idea for what we want to do but we keep psyching ourselves out, we can lay out some gentle, doable tasks that allow us to take action without getting overwhelmed.

On the first day, we might set a timer for ten minutes and list all of the things we can think of that we could do in relationship to our project.

On the second day, we can set a timer for ten minutes again and pick one of those things to focus on.

That doesn’t mean we have to do it. Actually, we might need to do some research to find out how to do it or how long it will take. That skill counts as work toward our project.

Of course, if we can do the task, great! Or we can do ten minutes’ worth.

On the third day, we set a timer for ten minutes again. This is where people get impatient and try to do an hour instead. Don’t, unless you are already, metaphorically speaking, running 10Ks on the regular. Keeping a conservative schedule is how we bypass fear, build a little momentum and confidence, and stick with the program.

By now, you are coming up with more stuff to add to the list. Great! The hard part of doing a project like this usually isn’t the doing; it’s figuring out what to do, and then what to do next. If you want to spend this ten-minute session in ideation, you can do that. Otherwise, pick a task to do or continue with yesterday’s.

On the fourth and fifth day, same thing. Then, on day six, you rest. Don’t work on the project and don’t think about it. Do something else. You’ll be glad you did.

Take a second rest day if you feel like it. Otherwise, get going again on the next day. This time, set a timer for twelve minutes.

The best of all possible circumstances is to have more stuff to do than you have time for. When the timer goes off, you should be like, “Darn! I was really getting into that!” Perfect. That means you’ll be looking forward to starting again tomorrow.

Continue for the rest of the second week exactly the way you have been. When you aren’t sure how to proceed, use your time for research (which might include asking questions of other people who have done something similar).

When you get discouraged, look at how many days you’ve worked. We’re not measuring by output. The measure of success is whether you follow through on the day’s plan. If you’re not able to follow through on the day’s plan, set your timer for a smaller number of minutes so that you can be successful.

Build your plan for the third week based on the second week. You might be able to go up to 15 minutes per day, or you might feel more comfortable staying with 12. If you get overwhelmed or discouraged, take an additional rest day or go with a smaller number of minutes.

By the fourth week, you might be up to twenty minutes a day. Perhaps you’ve identified some activities related to your project that feel easy and fun to do and have defined outcomes. You can begin to open up a little more time for those.

At the end of the fourth week, take stock. Are things going the way you want them to? Are you having fun? Do you feel like you’re making progress? You may still be a ways away from launch, but hopefully, it no longer seems like a far-off dream that you’ll never reach. Hopefully, you can now see that you will get there by patiently continuing the same process you’ve been following for these four weeks.

On the one hand, this may not seem like enough. On the other hand, you might do more in four weeks than you did in two years of waiting for the right time. Try it and see.

And if you would like a program that moves a little faster, I’m gathering a group this summer to work on projects together, providing support, encouragement, and strategy. Get in touch if you’re interested in finding out more.

What’s your advice for someone who is baby-stepping toward their dream? What tactics have you borrowed from others? I’d love to hear in the comments.