Get Momentum

Chapter 5Milestones

The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

—C. S. Lewis

There's really no honor in proving that you can carry the entire load on your own shoulders. And…it's lonely.”

—Amanda Palmer

No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.

—Warren Buffett

What Are Three Subprojects I Can Complete?

What Are Milestones, Really?

We define milestones as “significant events in the progress or development of a project that you want to get momentum on.”

It's easier to get and keep momentum when you create a schedule for your large, long-term project. When you lay out the work you need to do and organize your activity (and deadlines) three months at a time, in one-month intervals, even the largest projects feel more doable.

Creating subprojects—what we call milestones—removes the burden of trying to get everything done at once, or putting things off until later when you think you'll have more time. Work this way and you won't burn out. In fact, you'll feel the satisfaction of completion along the way, which fuels a feeling of momentum.

Knowing What's Coming

Years ago, we moved to Alaska for the month of August. We drove from Anchorage to Homer on the Kenai Peninsula via beautiful Highway 1. A local client had loaned us their truck and given us a book titled The Milepost. It is a travel ...