I realised I wasn’t allocating enough time on my project. During one of our weekly meetings between guides and cohort, I reflected that my schedule was spread across too many activities and felt I was not doing enough justice to my figma project in which I wanted to go deeper this term.
The next day, I had a 1-1 discussion with Aditi, one of the guides on campus to elaborate more on my concern – to be able to spend more time on my project. I was clear that I don’t want to wake up before 6am or spend late nights working.
Aditi probed further asking, what exactly am I looking for?
I shared my intention to – explore more, go a little deeper in what I am currently learning. My current learning is a very slow process and I don’t want to increase that speed, as I am at a beginner’s level and do not have a clue on what all I have to learn. Hence, I want to increase the amount of time I spend on it. I feel satisfied that way.
Then I shared that I tried doing one thing a day either daily workout or project or website but that didn’t work. I didn’t try another way to make it work.
Upon hearing all of my concerns patiently, Aditi invited me to consider prioritizing my project over other activities. Build deep focus on my project rather than giving importance to all three tasks I have at hand and see how it goes. I decided to try this approach the following week.
Aditi also helped me look at the various methods to ‘detail my project’.
•SMART method of detailing which would make sense if I have already explored the work before and now I am taking it to next level.
• Questioning method where I detail based on WH questions but for that also I need some knowledge about I am doing
• Chuck’s method where I divide a big task into smaller parts which requires only a broad view of what I am doing.
Since I am still figuring out the finer details of my project and don’t have too much clarity, I decided to implement Chuck’s method.
One of the role which guides, at CoVersity, play is not solve our problems. They talk less, listen more. Guides are around to nudge you, sometimes comfort you, often push you out of your comfort zone. They don’t interfere in your thinking or superimpose their ways of doing. One of their role is to enable the cohort to arrive at their own explanations, solutions and conclusions.
For guides, the onus is to offer invitations and trust that the cohort members are capable to take it forward in their own ways.