Off-campus student Jack M. knows from experience what it takes to bring an idea from dream to reality. In this blog post, he shares some practical, hard-won advice to help his fellow students do the same!
Hi, my name is Jack. I’m a 15-year-old elite-level athlete playing football (soccer) in the first division in Portugal. I am originally from Canada. I am a student here at Clonlara and, in addition to playing football, I am a teen mentor, a Myers–Briggs ENFP, and a big believer that having the “right” mindset can help you achieve anything!
Today, I’m going to be talking about bringing a project to life (yes!).
I’m looking forward to writing about this particular topic because I’ve found that Clonlara has incredibly creative students with brilliant minds who think outside of the box and have really big ideas to share with the world. I hope this article can help you all bring your projects to fruition!
Big ideas often lead to wonderful projects, but I’ve noticed that in my own life sometimes it’s difficult to harness all these ideas and turn them into something tangible.
Recently, I have gotten a lot better at it, and now I’m going share my top tips to help you bring your projects into the world!
Assuming you already have a project you’re working on, here are three tips to help you become more productive and get your ideas out into the world.
- Harness the Power of Focus
- Create a Clear Plan
- Take Action
Harness the Power of Focus
When you are in the stages of building your plan and taking action, focus is crucial.
You’d be surprised by the amount of time we are not focused on what we are actually doing. This makes the work you do less effective, and it takes a lot longer to complete things. Your efficiency and productivity take a nosedive when focus isn’t present.
Three hours of focused, intense work is much better than a full day of working on something while multitasking throughout your day.
Now, sometimes you will need to get some space from your project because your brain also needs breaks to work well; maybe cook a meal or walk to clear your mind. But while working on your project, you should consistently be present and focused on the task at hand.
Here are some focus tips that have worked for me:
- Put your phone in a different room to resist the temptation of looking at it.
- If you are using a computer, do not have any social media tabs open. It’s best to get it “out of sight, out of mind” so that you’re not tempted to take a quick peek!
- The Pomodoro technique focuses me for a specific amount of time. The basics of the Pomodoro technique are that you work for 25-minute intervals and take 5-minute breaks in between. This helps to focus you on the task at hand. It also helps you get started if you are a bit of a procrastinator, since there is a clear end.
- There’s also a great browser extension (and app), one sec, that can help your habit of visiting distracting pages. When you attempt to go to those types of pages, it makes you pause before the page opens. It gives you a moment to think if you really want to go there.
- If you have trouble focusing due to overwhelm and can’t just focus on one thing, I love this calming mantra: “first this, then that.” It’s a savior in terms of focus.
Focus is the cornerstone of getting things done. If you get good at being focused, your productivity will improve and the amount of time it takes to do things will decrease by leaps and bounds.
Now that we have discussed focus, let’s move on to step two: the plan.
Create a Clear Plan
When building a project, you NEED to work hard, it’s a given—but you also need to work smart.
I always say that you need to start by working smart, so that when you work hard it makes the biggest impact.
You need to identify what the biggest “movers” are. What are the things that will make the biggest impact on your project or goal?
You also need to figure out what is the most likely thing to distract you from your goal. What are the biggest obstacles in finishing your projects?
Once you understand those things, create a plan.
Make your plan very, very clear on how you will get from where you are now (point A) to the finished project (point B). List every step.
You may need to pick up new habits, daily routines, or systems to help you with your project, vision, or goal. If so, include them.
In addition to the specific tasks needed, include checkpoints in your plan. Checkpoints are useful because they provide a timeline and help you see if you are on track or veering off course. For example, if you want to be finished with a specific part of the project in a few days, include that as a checkpoint in your plan.
Include strategies to combat things that will sabotage your progress (e.g., if you struggle with procrastination, create a strategy to combat that). As James Clear says: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
The goal is to make the plan so clear that if you gave your plan to a stranger, they could use the steps you described and bring your project to life without ever once needing to speak to you.
One thing to keep in mind: we want the plan to be as detailed as possible, but make sure you aren’t so obsessed with the plan that you never start. The plan can also adapt and change over time as you learn and grow.
The final part of the equation is: taking action!
Take Action
This part is really simple. Don’t overthink, stay focused, use your plan as a guide, and just take action!
If you need to set aside time every day in your calendar to get it done, plot it out so you know when you will be working and taking action.
In Summary
I hope this helps you bring your incredible projects to life!
If you learned something from this article, or you think this article will help bring your vision to life, I would love to know down in the comments. Also, if you have any other questions, please let me know!
To learn more about Jack’s projects and connect with him about your own, check out his newsletter, Upliftology, and follow him on Instagram at @jackmurrayhq.
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice with us, Jack! We’re inspired by your positivity and dedication.
A Student’s Advice on How to Bring a Project to Life
Off-campus student Jack M. knows from experience what it takes to bring an idea from dream to reality. In this blog post, he shares some practical, hard-won advice to help his fellow students do the same!
Hi, my name is Jack. I’m a 15-year-old elite-level athlete playing football (soccer) in the first division in Portugal. I am originally from Canada. I am a student here at Clonlara and, in addition to playing football, I am a teen mentor, a Myers–Briggs ENFP, and a big believer that having the “right” mindset can help you achieve anything!
Today, I’m going to be talking about bringing a project to life (yes!).
I’m looking forward to writing about this particular topic because I’ve found that Clonlara has incredibly creative students with brilliant minds who think outside of the box and have really big ideas to share with the world. I hope this article can help you all bring your projects to fruition!
Big ideas often lead to wonderful projects, but I’ve noticed that in my own life sometimes it’s difficult to harness all these ideas and turn them into something tangible.
Recently, I have gotten a lot better at it, and now I’m going share my top tips to help you bring your projects into the world!
Assuming you already have a project you’re working on, here are three tips to help you become more productive and get your ideas out into the world.
Harness the Power of Focus
When you are in the stages of building your plan and taking action, focus is crucial.
You’d be surprised by the amount of time we are not focused on what we are actually doing. This makes the work you do less effective, and it takes a lot longer to complete things. Your efficiency and productivity take a nosedive when focus isn’t present.
Three hours of focused, intense work is much better than a full day of working on something while multitasking throughout your day.
Now, sometimes you will need to get some space from your project because your brain also needs breaks to work well; maybe cook a meal or walk to clear your mind. But while working on your project, you should consistently be present and focused on the task at hand.
Here are some focus tips that have worked for me:
Focus is the cornerstone of getting things done. If you get good at being focused, your productivity will improve and the amount of time it takes to do things will decrease by leaps and bounds.
Now that we have discussed focus, let’s move on to step two: the plan.
Create a Clear Plan
When building a project, you NEED to work hard, it’s a given—but you also need to work smart.
I always say that you need to start by working smart, so that when you work hard it makes the biggest impact.
You need to identify what the biggest “movers” are. What are the things that will make the biggest impact on your project or goal?
You also need to figure out what is the most likely thing to distract you from your goal. What are the biggest obstacles in finishing your projects?
Once you understand those things, create a plan.
Make your plan very, very clear on how you will get from where you are now (point A) to the finished project (point B). List every step.
You may need to pick up new habits, daily routines, or systems to help you with your project, vision, or goal. If so, include them.
In addition to the specific tasks needed, include checkpoints in your plan. Checkpoints are useful because they provide a timeline and help you see if you are on track or veering off course. For example, if you want to be finished with a specific part of the project in a few days, include that as a checkpoint in your plan.
Include strategies to combat things that will sabotage your progress (e.g., if you struggle with procrastination, create a strategy to combat that). As James Clear says: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
The goal is to make the plan so clear that if you gave your plan to a stranger, they could use the steps you described and bring your project to life without ever once needing to speak to you.
One thing to keep in mind: we want the plan to be as detailed as possible, but make sure you aren’t so obsessed with the plan that you never start. The plan can also adapt and change over time as you learn and grow.
The final part of the equation is: taking action!
Take Action
This part is really simple. Don’t overthink, stay focused, use your plan as a guide, and just take action!
If you need to set aside time every day in your calendar to get it done, plot it out so you know when you will be working and taking action.
In Summary
I hope this helps you bring your incredible projects to life!
If you learned something from this article, or you think this article will help bring your vision to life, I would love to know down in the comments. Also, if you have any other questions, please let me know!
To learn more about Jack’s projects and connect with him about your own, check out his newsletter, Upliftology, and follow him on Instagram at @jackmurrayhq.
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice with us, Jack! We’re inspired by your positivity and dedication.
Accreditations
Support Clonlara
There are many ways to support Clonlara’s mission. Volunteer to share your time, knowledge, and experience; or donate and have a direct impact on our community.