How to Make Sense of Any Mess by Abby Covert

Chapter 5: Measure the Distance | Page 110

Progress is as important to measure as success.

Many projects are more manageable if you cut them into smaller tasks. Sequencing those tasks can mean moving through a tangled web of dependencies.

A dependency is a condition that has to be in place for something to happen. For example, the links throughout this book are dependent on me publishing the content.

How you choose to measure progress can affect the likelihood of your success. Choose a measurement that reinforces your intent. For example:

• If you want to become a better writer, you might measure your progress against a goal like: “Write every day.”
• If you want to write a novel in the next year, your progress may be better measured as: “Write 500 words towards the novel per day.”