A lot of times, we do things and we don’t know why. We look back and we realize it was either completely useless, we could have used that time to do something better, or something existed that could have made the process more efficient. Whatever it was, we should have given up and moved on to something actually worthwhile.
Here are a few reasons what you’re doing right now is useless.
If you can agree with even just a few of these, find something better to do.
7. There’s a better way to do it
Your product has a great reason for existing, but you’ve invented the time machine to remember the date of your anniversary. There are so much better and easier ways of achieving what you want to solve. Go do those instead.
6. You’re doing it just because somebody else asked you to
If this is your reason for doing something you’re doing, don’t feel bad. It happens to all of us. And at those times, the idea sounds really good. However, when this does happen, you need to ask yourself who is it really for? Is there any reason YOU should be doing this?
5. It’s not useful
Usefulness makes something worthwhile. Otherwise, your product is a fad that will just fade away. While it’s sometimes more exciting to make the next cool thing, you’re going to be better off making the next lifeline or the next thread of fate.
4. You’re not solving anything
You need to know the purpose of your project. Is it a real problem you’re solving? Or is it something you just made up and nobody else gets it? If so, let it go. You’re better off doing something that doesn’t need an explanation.
3. There’s really no value to it
Does your product actually improve the lives of your customers? Does it actually bring them a step closer to that perfect life? If not, you’re not doing anything great and are probably selling your soul to what’s viral.
2. There are tons of things you could be doing instead
How long would it take for you to finish what you’re doing? In that amount of time, how many other things could you do? Is the collective value of those possibilities much more than that of what you’re doing? Stop right now and do those instead.
1. It’s just really not worth it
How much time are you going to spend on it? How much time are others going to spend on it? When you realise that everyone’s collective hours turn into a year’s worth of time, it gets you thinking. Will the total amount of time people worked on it be less than the time it saved from your customers? If not, move on.
Remember that sometimes, abandoning ship is well worth it, or maybe even postponing it until you’ve found a more efficient process. It’s not the hours you’ve spent on it that counts, but the hours you still need to spend on it.