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Jae Edeen
Jae Edeen

Posted on • Originally published at edeen.dev on

Returning to an old project

Sometimes we have to put a project on hiatus. Other things can get in the way; focus can shift over time. I end up returning to old stuff pretty often, so I’ve written down the set of questions I ask myself when I'm reapproaching a paused project.

Why am I looking at this project again?

  • Am I just reminiscing?
  • Do I just want to look at it again for a while before I have to go work on other things?
  • Do I want to remind myself of what I get to work on soon, to help me get through what I’m working on now?
  • Do I want to recycle some of this project to use for something else?
  • Do I intend to continue working on the project now?

What was my progress on this project?

  • What was the project about?
  • What was the goal of the project?
  • How did I go about accomplishing the goal previously?
  • How far did I get towards accomplishing that goal?
  • Do I still want to accomplish the original goal, or is there a new goal I’d rather pursue?

How will I complete this project?

  • How much time would I like to devote to this work?
  • How much time can I actually devote to this work?
  • How will I schedule my allocated time?
  • Are there any external motivators that might help me finish the project?
  • Do I need any help completing the project?

After this, it’s all a matter of actually starting again!

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