Today we’re going to deal with taking on projects so big that you don’t even know what you don’t know.
As you may know, I attended Burning Man this year. It’s a temporary city in the desert that exists for one week each year. It’s literally the size of a city, and is built by artists, engineers, and mad scientists as an experiment in intentional community.
One day, while riding a bicycle out in the deep desert, inspiration struck. In 1993, the videogame MYST came out. When released, it was immersive. It was beautiful. It was groundbreaking. From the music to the storyline, it held intrigue. I recently replayed it and it holds up very well.
MYST takes place on an island. Between solving puzzles, you often return to a beautiful octagonal library in the middle of the island. The library has "linking books." These are magical books that transport you between different Ages of the MYST universe. My dream is to recreate that library at Burning Man.
There’s only one problem: I don’t build stuff. I don’t design. I don’t use a hammer. I don’t paint. I’ve never transported a structure to an event in the desert. In short, I have nothing but passion, a vision, and a few get-it-done skills here and there.
Ignorance Is Bliss...Plus Paralysis
Not only that, but the scope of this project is so gigantic that it’s paralyzing. There are blueprints to be made, structures to be built. And depending on the cost, probably money to be raised. Grants to be applied for. And none of it is known in advance. Urp!
I announced my desire to do this several weeks ago. And haven’t done any work since. Not for lack of desire; but because the audacity of the project is huge, knowledge is small, and I want to get it 100%, totally right.
And therein lies the problem. If you have some notion of what the Ideal Project would be, it can be so overwhelming that it becomes impossible to start. But don’t do nothing! You’ve got a vision. Now, make a high-level plan. And another. And a third. Make three plans, and then decide your next steps.
Consider the MYST library. If you were going to make it come true, how would you do it?
How to Start a Project in 4 Simple Steps
- Make a Cheap Plan
- Make a Fast Plan
- Make a Perfect Plan
- Make a Merged Plan...
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