In my opinion (and experience), if you have a personal project you’re working on, you’ll be more motivated, stimulated, and fulfilled in other areas of your life. How, then, do you decide when the time is right to jump in head first?

I think three key words say it all: just jump in.

This doesn’t mean you have to give up your life for three months until it’s finished. Baby steps will do just fine. I’m a firm believer in “out of sight, out of mind” though.  My solution is this: put your project in the open.

• Start it in your living room so you can’t ignore it when you come home.
• Make it a desktop icon next to iTunes, so you see it all the time.
• Write a note about it on your bathroom mirror- you’ll start thinking about it while you’re brushing your teeth.
• If you’re like me, you have a notebook you carry around everywhere. Put a bright sticky note on the very front of your notebook about your project.

I’ve been told that if something really means a lot to you, you’ll make it a priority. I agree on some very low level, but I also disagree on a much higher level. I think people generally have a lot going on, and when their project list reaches a certain number, it’s perceived as overwhelming and untouchable. So that’s why, in addition to putting your project somewhere you’ll see it frequently, it might be a good idea to break it down into pieces. That’s where the imaginary deadlines come into play.

Like goals, your deadlines should be realistic, and attainable. I prefer small steps, with longer deadlines so I don’t feel pressured. I have time to re-do, and re-do again if I want. For example, say I’m writing a book. Say it’s July 2nd.

• Deadline: By July 30th, I will have written three pages.

Three pages might not seem like a lot- but because I know I have a lot of time to work on them, I’m more apt to make the quality better. Always choose quality over quantity.

The best part of all this is: since the deadlines are imaginary, and you set them, you also have the power to change them. Move them up, move them back. But for me, having a concrete deadline on the calendar holds me accountable to the most important person involved with the project: me.

Bottom line: Carve out time to do the things you want to do.