It's always exciting to get a new project. It's an opportunity for you to get better at your craft, learn something new, and show what you're capable of. Unfortunately, there are some pretty big mistakes that people make when starting a new project that can get in the way of those goals.
Here are the five most common mistakes.
1) Starting with a deadline instead of with a plan: A deadline is just that - a deadline - and it is not the same as a goal or target date. Deadlines generally come from others and they don’t take into account the realities on the ground. Goals and targets, on the other hand, can be set by you and adjusted as needed so they remain realistic and achievable.
2) Starting without enough money: This mistake comes in two different forms:
a) You underestimate how much time and money it will take to complete your project;
b) You overestimate how much money is available.
The five most common mistakes you might be making when starting a new project
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1) Starting with a deadline instead of with a plan: A deadline is just that - a deadline - and it is not the same as a goal or target date. Deadlines generally come from others and they don’t take into account the realities on the ground. Goals and targets, on the other hand, can be set by you and adjusted as needed so they remain realistic and achievable.
2) Starting without enough money: This mistake comes in two different forms:
a) You underestimate how much time and money it will take to complete your project;
b) You overestimate how much money is available.
Starting with a deadline instead of a plan
When starting a new project, it's important to have an outline of what needs to be done and how long you need to do it. Setting a deadline is not the same as setting a goal or target date, and can often get in the way of achieving your goals. Deadlines generally come from others and they don't take into account the realities on the ground. Goals and targets, on the other hand, can be set by you and adjusted as needed so they remain realistic and achievable.
Starting without enough money
Starting a project without enough money is a common mistake that people make. You might underestimate how much time and money it will take to complete your project, or you may overestimate the amount of available funds. Either way, you’ll find yourself in a tight spot and scrambling to get things done on time and within budget.
3) Not having a plan: This one is pretty self-explanatory: if you don’t have a plan, it’s hard to know if you’re making any progress. It's easy to feel like you're just spinning your wheels, which can be demotivating.
4) Not asking for help: This one is related to point 3 - not having a plan. If you don't have a clear idea of what needs to get done, who should do it and when they should do it, then there's no real way of knowing what's going on and if anything has been achieved.
5) Taking shortcuts: To some degree this could be seen as an extension of point 4 - not asking for help - but we wanted to address the idea separately because sometimes people think shortcuts are necessary. Shortcuts can lead to errors that would otherwise be avoided by following the proper process (i.e., writing good copy).
Not planning for the unexpected
One of the most important aspects of project management is anticipatory planning. We all know that things happen during a project that are not planned for - and sometimes they can be quite disruptive. For this reason, it is critical to plan for the unexpected.
If you don’t make room in your budget or timeline for these things, you are setting yourself up for disaster down the road.
Treating your project like a job
Another mistake people make is treating their project like a job. When you work on a job, the expectation is that you are going to be there for at least 8 hours a day, five days a week. You are also expected to work weekends when needed. Your project might take longer than expected and require much more work, but it's your choice whether or not you want to put in the time.
4) Starting without enough experience: It's possible that your skills or experience don't match up with what is required for this project. The best way to prevent this from happening is by talking with the person who has given you the task before starting it.
5) Starting without enough time: The last common mistake people make when starting new projects is not giving themselves enough time to complete it. Sometimes we get so excited about doing something new and different that we jump into it without really thinking about how long it will take, which can lead us to fall short on our plan or deadline. This can be avoided by spending some time planning out your tasks and setting realistic expectations of how long they're going to take and then sticking to those deadlines and timelines as closely as possible.
Conclusion
Starting a project can be difficult. There are a lot of factors that can combine to make it successful and a lot of pitfalls that can make it a failure. The five mistakes above are the most common and can be easily avoided.
If you’re starting a new project or know someone who is, share this article with them! There is no cost and it’s full of valuable information.