Our fence was in disrepair.

It was actually a Frankenstein fence, cobbled together from different builds. The front gate was ours, but the sides and back were each built by the respective neighbors.

While we knew we’d need to repair the fence eventually, getting a dog that exploits the openings in the fence expedited that need.

Building the Fence

So my Father-in-Law and Brother-in-Law came over and we built a simple 4-foot rail fence with mesh wire.

Like any project with repeatable step, we got off to a slow start. We had to set up the corner rails, place the gates, and get the measurements right.

We had to experiment a little bit to see if the things we were trying were actually working. After all, we didn’t want to set all the posts and then realize we did it wrong.

But as we got going, we fell into a good rhythm:

1. Measure the distance from the last post.
2. Dig a 3-foot hole.
3. Mark the post to ensure the right depth of the hole.
4. Level the post and line it up against a guide string.
5. Test the rail fit.
6. Fill the hole.

None of us are professional builders (me least of all), so we didn’t have a clear SOP going in. My In-Laws have DIY’d fences for themselves, but every yard is different.

There’s always going to be a little bit of friction at the beginning of a new project while you figure out what you’re dealing with.

That friction forced us to pause, assess, and avoid costly mistakes.

I can only imagine how the fence would look if we didn’t measure like we did.

Friction is a Good Thing

When you start a project, it’s important to leverage that friction (usually some constraints) and really think about your approach.

Once you get something down, you can smooth out the process by putting in a system, some automations, or even delegating.

I feel like I’m really struggling with this lately! I don’t feel like I have a good system in place for the projects I’m doing this year, in part because they are a bit different from the projects I’ve been working on.

Just like building the fence, business projects often start with a bit of uncertainty, but establishing a process is key to efficiency.

I need some time to assess my approach. And the only way to really understand is to experiment and adjust.

So what am I doing?

Documenting my Process

For each project – and I have a few this month I’m working on – I’m making a list of the features and outcomes.

Then doing some work, documenting my process, and retroactively adding tasks to the project’s task list.

Doing this sort of post-work todo list will help me see patterns, assess my approach, and improve the start of each new project.

Once I do that a few times, I’m confident I’ll be able to smooth this out and reduce the friction of starting a new project.

Friction might slow you down at the start — but it’s also how you build a system that works

Do you struggle at the start of projects? What do you do to get going?