Add constraints to get work done
"Art lives from constraints and dies from freedom" - Leonardo da Vinci
I feel like this lesson is important for me to learn. In particular, with regard to unfinished work, which da Vinci was familiar with.
I personally have loads of unfinished projects, as I imagine many other people do. When I heard this quote related to time constraints, I thought about times in recent memory when I had decided to sit down and do a project I had been putting off.
I did not necessarily set a time limit. However, in sitting down to work on something, there is an implied time limit. I knew I wasn't going to sit there all day and work on it.
An additional constraint then enters the mind: "How far do I want to take this project in this session?" Now we have not only a time constraint, but a work constraint. This combination includes a limited amount of time to complete a task, but as a balance, a smaller share of the work for the project.
The benefit is threefold.
With a time limit, you begin to work more efficiently, discarding temptations to expand the project and/or increasing work by demanding perfection.
With a specific goal, you start to cast aside anything that will get in your way of completing the task.
With a smaller share of work to complete, the finish line is no longer some distant and hazy apparition, but a solid line in the ground that is not terribly far away.
Thus, the share of work you want to complete can be completed, and with a set time limit, you are not bound to work for an unimaginable amount of time.
Also, a time limit will restrain any desire for perfectionism, limit dives into rabbit holes of time loss, and increase efficiency toward the goal you want to reach.
Imagine works that have gone unfinished. It's possible the artist gave themselves unconstrained resources of time, and were determined to perfectly finish the work. This lack of constraints allows the work and time to roll on without end.
Thus, to get work done, you should
1) set up an environment where your tools are readily available,
2) sit yourself down for a set amount of time,
3) determine a reasonable goal of work to accomplish in that time, and
4) get to work!
I feel like this lesson is important for me to learn. In particular, with regard to unfinished work, which da Vinci was familiar with.
I personally have loads of unfinished projects, as I imagine many other people do. When I heard this quote related to time constraints, I thought about times in recent memory when I had decided to sit down and do a project I had been putting off.
I did not necessarily set a time limit. However, in sitting down to work on something, there is an implied time limit. I knew I wasn't going to sit there all day and work on it.
An additional constraint then enters the mind: "How far do I want to take this project in this session?" Now we have not only a time constraint, but a work constraint. This combination includes a limited amount of time to complete a task, but as a balance, a smaller share of the work for the project.
The benefit is threefold.
With a time limit, you begin to work more efficiently, discarding temptations to expand the project and/or increasing work by demanding perfection.
With a specific goal, you start to cast aside anything that will get in your way of completing the task.
With a smaller share of work to complete, the finish line is no longer some distant and hazy apparition, but a solid line in the ground that is not terribly far away.
Thus, the share of work you want to complete can be completed, and with a set time limit, you are not bound to work for an unimaginable amount of time.
Also, a time limit will restrain any desire for perfectionism, limit dives into rabbit holes of time loss, and increase efficiency toward the goal you want to reach.
Imagine works that have gone unfinished. It's possible the artist gave themselves unconstrained resources of time, and were determined to perfectly finish the work. This lack of constraints allows the work and time to roll on without end.
Thus, to get work done, you should
1) set up an environment where your tools are readily available,
2) sit yourself down for a set amount of time,
3) determine a reasonable goal of work to accomplish in that time, and
4) get to work!
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