Ally's Process Journal

Planning to Start/Finish Reflection

The podcast was interesting because I was not aware that such differences in planning existed when, in fact, I have been doing both kinds of planning myself.

Personally, I do both kinds of planning for every single project I work on. Before I first start working on the project, I like to plan to finish by creating a masterplan that consists of the different steps I need to take to finish the project. I also like to create a deadline myself if no hard deadlines exist to motivate myself to get work done faster. On the other hand, I plan to start on a daily basis before starting to work on the project. For example, I would listen to music and prepare myself a cup of tea every time I begin planning to start in order to induce myself in a state of mind in which I can focus the most. In other words, I try to induce the state of being where habits and creative juices are able to flow freely.

For myself, planning to start is more important because it is what actually allows me to create quality work. I do agree with the speaker, however, that without planning to finish, my overall work could end up like the horse in the Game of Thrones meme because of the lack of overall structure that could ensue. However, by planning to start, I will have some work done, whereas with just planning to finish, I may not even have any.