A friend of mine built upholstered soft furnishings. Often as a beginner he was befuddled when staring at a raw wood frame… intimidated because he wasn’t sure what to do next. Not wanting to appear foolish he moved about busily, trying to look like he knew what he was doing, hoping divine inspiration would show him what to do next. Never happened. Eventually, he had to ask for help.

Imagine for a second you are a carpenter’s apprentice tasked with the job of building a box. You begin by cutting pieces of wood, laying them out carefully in nice little piles. Assembling the pieces you realize that it doesn’t fit together. Oops. Forget this little axiom “Measure twice cut once”. Now you have a mess. A mess that could’ve been avoided if you were taught a process.

How is it as a beginner it seems so hard to finish projects?  I think the problem happens because the beginner doesn’t have a clue what the project is supposed to look like when its done. The problem is vision…

At the start of any project you need to form a clear mental picture of the piece you want to build. In the case of our poor woodworking friend he didn’t imagine the finished item in his mind. When the time came to put it all together he was haphazard because he didn’t consult with the blueprint and make a working plan.

He should’ve examined the plan and noted all the details. Taking all that in, then forming the 3-D mental image of the completed item. That’s the target to shoot for.

Having a clear picture or vision in mind is the key.

Working backwards from that image you reverse the process it took to get there. Laying out each preceding step until you arrive at the beginning will give you a working plan.  It’s the only way to make sure you get it right. And of course, any omissions in your plan will be easier to deal with during that process.

Can you apply this process to any project?

Yes. If you paint or draw for fun or profit you need a clear idea of the subject and what you’d like to capture.

If you are a writer working on the great American novel you need to have the story clear in mind before you begin.

It’s unlikely you would take a trip across the country without a destination in mind. From there it is relatively to easy to find a map and choose a suitable route.

That’s the essence of outcome thinking. Gather the details and form the vision in the mind first. Make a map, plot the route and you are on your way. Makes sense, doesn’t it?