Time moves forward with or without us, and in that, so do opportunities. While we’d love to be able to pursue every beneficial opportunity we come across, the reality is that we’ll have to put other efforts on hold to pursue the ones we decide to go for.
In other words, every opportunity has a window, and that window will close with or without you.
Because of this, it’s important to keep tabs on our “tech debt,” especially if they’re things that absolutely must happen sooner or later if we want to achieve our primary goal (e.g. our North Star). To do this effectively, whenever you’re faced with the decision to put something you’re currently working on on hold to then pursue a new opportunity, ask yourself these questions, assuming A is the new opportunity and B is what you’re currently working on.
1. What benefit do I get from A? What do I miss out on if I don’t do A?
2. What benefit do I get from B? What do I lose if I don’t complete B?
3. If I pursue A, does it still make sense to later revisit B?
4. If it does make sense to revisit B, when will I revisit it?
By asking yourself these questions, you acknowledge what each option’s value is to your North Star and subconsciously commit yourself to revisiting your original efforts if they still align with your primary goal.
If you don’t ask yourself these questions, you put yourself at greater risk of having critical efforts slip through the cracks, ultimately hurting your chances of meeting your ultimate goal.
Keep tabs on your “tech debt.”