A Pilgrim's Project

I'm blogging earlier than usual this week as I'm on leave and have time on my hands. The good thing about not being on project related work is that you don't overwork yourself, which is a nice change for me.

When you are doing a project, the dateline is constantly looming in your head and you are naturally cautious of unexpected problems surfacing at the last moment. So you try to cover as much ground as possible so that you get a heads up of the terrain ahead.  Which means that you spend nights and weekends working and when things get done, you fuss over tiny details obsessively to make them as perfect as possible. That makes project work very stressful at times.

During a project, you are always forced to confront your weaknesses. Which is why a project is like a pilgrimage: it is both a physical journey and a catharsis. During a project there will be times when the obstacles ahead might seem insurmountable but you have to trudge on because there's no other alternative. And then you realize that, it is by the sheer power of persistence that certain problems resolve themselves. Forging ahead, doing the next logical thing may seem sensible in hindsight but when you are a traveller stranded in a strange place, you feel so lost and helpless.  But a pilgrim progresses by having faith and accepting that all obstacles along the path are part and parcel of the spiritual quest itself.

Religion emphasizes faith, which is the power of belief; and when belief is applied not as a kind of smug certainty but as an inner conviction that all obstacles can be overcome if one does not panic and simply stick to the basics of problem-solving.  And what are those basics? It's just asking yourself these questions: Where are you now? Where do you want to go? What is the next small step you could do to move towards your destination?

At any point in time, there's only one small step to make, and not the 10,000 miles that separates you from your destination. Having made that small step, you would check again, if your new vantage point reveals fresh information. If they do, make use of it. Sometimes, as the cliche goes, you need to take a step backwards to move two steps forward. 

A project plan is nothing but a route marked on a piece of map. It sets the general trajectory and provides an estimated time of arrival. But when it comes to the actual journey, the terrain itself would always offer some surprises.  It is the unexpected challenge of the terrain that makes a pilgrimage. And one is not unwise to approach a project as a pilgrim would, with faith and fortitude.