Great Projects, High Energy

Every once in a while you get those projects that you love to work on. These are the projects that really get the creativity flowing. There is just something about the project maybe it is the subject, maybe not but there is just something that makes you want to keep working on it regardless of the time or how many hours it will take. You loose all sense of time and get excited each time you pick it up. You know that you'll be sad when you complete the project because it will be over.

I'm working on one of those projects now and it is perfect timing. With the holiday's and all that they involve it is wonderful to be able to loose myself in a great project and get that wonderful energy and creativity flowing.

I've been thinking how to transfer some of this energy and excitement into other projects. I've come up with a few ideas but am also wondering what ideas you might have?

A different way of looking at things.

I really enjoyed this post "Are we thinking differently?" that I read the other day and thought it illustrated well what I'm talking about. I've come to believe that those of us who are instructional designers look at things differently. We approach problems from a different angle and find unique solutions. That is what makes us good at what we do. I don't believe that there is a box to think outside of when it comes to instructional design. In fact, the less constraint we place on ourselves the better the product we create.

Finds of the week

Here are some useful blog's I've found this week.

eLearning Templates – 20 Resources – http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/12/elearning-templates-20-resources.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ElearningTechnology+%28eLearning+Technology%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Why we need to pay attention to copyright – http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2009/12/04/why-we-need-to-pay-attention-to-copyright/
On Bad eLearning Narration – http://www.equixotic.com/2009/12/07/on-bad-elearning-narration/
The use of Twitter (and other social media) for Learning – http://janeknight.typepad.com/socialmedia/2009/12/the-use-of-twitter-and-other-social-media-for-learning.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eLearningLearningFull+%28eLearning+Learning+Full+Feed%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Brand Your Online Training – http://elearningbrothers.com/brand-your-online-training/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eLearningLearningFull+%28eLearning+Learning+Full+Feed%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Drivers Ed Game – http://driversed.com/games/drivers-ed-game.aspx

Getting things going

So many times when I talk with people about creating web-based training or other types of non-traditional training opportunities I can see the "wheels" turning and the ideas coming forth about all the things that they can do with the resources available. Unfortunately those wheels can tend to come to a screeching halt when it comes time to put the ideas into practice.

It is a great thing to be able to see the potential and possibilities but I think that at times that might be the easy part. The hard part is actually getting things going. Picking a project and starting, that's tough. Sometimes it is difficult because there are so many projects it is tough to pick on, sometimes it is difficult because formulating the actual product from the idea can be overwhelming, and sometimes it is difficult to just start when you aren't sure how it will turn out.

Right now I've got one project in particular that is a challenge but one that I'm excited to take on and see if I can make it work, however, I've also got others that are more "routine" and less exciting that have to be completed first so I'm allowing myself time to work on the exciting project only after I've completed one of the other ones (my own reward system). As I look at the growing list of projects that I've got in the works and trying to prioritize what I'll work on next I wonder what some of you do to keep yourself motivated and your ideas fresh.