OT: Help with motivation

[Dave Cragg]

On 22 Feb 2005, at 23:29, Sarah Reichelt wrote:

>> I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a 
>> possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm 
>> ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of 
>> ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been 
>> sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV 
>> but still can't start.
>>

If you're like me, I find that in these situations, any kind of 
methodical planning isn't going to work. As a student, this was 
described to me as "Cuthbert's paradox" , in which your objectives 
depend on the methods of implementation, and the methods of 
implementation depend on the objective. In other words, "You don't know 
what you want until you know how to get it, and you don't know how to 
get it until you know what you want." The solution, we were told, was 
modelled around psychoanalytic techniques. But basically it involves 
piddling around till everything becomes clear.

The key is in finding efficient(ish) techniques of "piddling around".

On 22 Feb 2005, at 23:29, Sarah Reichelt wrote:

> Pick one tiny aspect of the project that doesn't involve anything that 
> you don't already know how to do and just do that. Don't worry about 
> the rest as it is daunting to face a large project where nothing has 
> been done, so break it up and just do little bit by little bit. After 
> a few tiny bits have been put together, it won't seem so difficult.
>
I like this approach too.

The way I usually do it is to create a new stack and put a row of say 5 
buttons along the top and a blank field below. Then using the first 
button, I implement some function/feature that I think will probably 
have to be included in the project.  (Getting data from the internet, 
parsing a particular kind of data structure, whatever.) I use the field 
to display any data as I go. I might add another field and use one for 
"input" and one for "output". Then do something else with the second 
button, and so on. Add more buttons as required. When I'm bored with 
this, I'll make a second card, and start "piddling around" with some 
interface ideas. (Occasionally asking the questions, "Who's going to 
use this? What will they expect to see?")

When things get really grim, I go to the supermarket and think, "Hey, 
working here wouldn't be too bad. Stocking shelves looks quite 
therapeutic." It takes some of the pressure away to know there are 
alternatives. :)

Which all reminds me of a paper I read while a student. It was in a 
book of papers about  "Corporate and Strategic Planning". This was in 
the seventies when "goal setting, systems analysis, problem definition, 
cybernetic modelling, cost-benefit analysis, platform shoes" were cool. 
Amongst the heady sounding papers was one entitled "The Art of Muddling 
Through". Not so much inspiring as reassuring.

Cheers
Dave