Start doing things, don’t wait the best moment

05 Feb 2016 . Software . Comments #software #agile #life

When software development meets real life.

The other day I was searching for inspiration and ended up in a book, named Steal like an artist from Austin Kleon, which presents a message that creative process is for everyone, introducing practical manners to leverage and increase this creativity. The fact is that the second topic of the book woke me up, considering the concept that with this analytical, systematic and detail oriented profile of mine, I had always wanted to have an understanding of all things in my personal life, knowing where to have to reach and all steps to be taken. The author shows through the topic “Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started “ that such elements block our creativity and project execution.

I was forced a bit more to think on the way projects need to be faced in life, how our existence is related to work and as consequence the comparison of real life projects’ planning with software development planning that becomes inevitable. With this last insight I was woken up for the second time just as a slap on the face, since it was in a such a professional environment in my area, that have succeed to perform software development using agile methodology at which the knowledge of the stages or steps is not reached before meeting the final results. With this in mind, I was led to reflect why not applying this concept to my personal life.

Who never postponed an activity or project, just because of the thought of not being prepared or ready to accomplish or carry out such task?  Rather, the development of a hobby such as photography, culinary or carpentry, learning a new language, or even the entrepreneurship of a new business which by the way, many business success stories happened without the actors knowing exactly what steps to follow, just and simply executing, iterating, delivering results, getting feedbacks of their progression therefore improving and directing their final product. Needless to say that it is just exactly how it happens with software production when applied agile methodology.

Deepening furthermore in the relationship of real life projects with software development agile methodology, we can observe that there is a complementation or even a union of concepts for what both successes may occur. If such agile methodology base concepts are applied — planning, iteration, monitoring, results delivery, feedback and metrics, we can have in our real life projects a success, or even failures, faster responses, instead of being ready to execute it. And if apply relationship base concepts of our real life such as bonds, communication and trust, we can have software development projects using agile methodology with impressive results.

There are numerous examples of success projects in the internet from any area, where these have been applied. And why we can’t apply it in our personal projects? Therefore thus, don’t wait until the best moment or know who you are to start to do things, hence, start today, start now.