R/T 015 - Why bother with side projects?

This week's radical thing is: Three types of personal project to increase career resilience.

I’ve never fully-trusted full-time employment.

I’ve always believed that putting all your eggs in one basket leaves your career vulnerable.

Creating options increases resilience.

Some people say the opposite. Their view is that if you’re not concentrating on your job, you’re not giving it your full attention.

I believe the opposite.

I know I need variety to survive. When I'm not feeling challenged I get bored. Having projects outside of ‘work’ means I can remain stimulated across many channels. They also create an environment of continuous learning.

On reflection, it’s more than that. You’re taking control of your destiny.

And if anything unexpected or undesirable happens, you have a fallback position. You’re also probing your environment to uncover new problems, opportunities and directions.

Analysis and synthesis. The nucleus of great strategy.

I’ve always valued this approach. As we face more uncertainty and volatility, more people should be thinking this way.

A screenshot from a video of Workchops - a personal project from 2017

In the last issue I talked about the idea of creative action. Today I want to dive into a typology of side projects (or personal projects), so let’s break these down further.

When I analyse the different types of personal projects I’ve done over the years, they fall into three categories.

1. Purpose-driven

2. Career-driven

3. Curiosity-driven

Here’s how I see the differences:

Purpose-driven

These projects occur when you see a gap that needs filling.

You know others will benefit. They are often community focused, e.g. starting a Meet Up. It could also be creating a conference or event, or mentoring younger designers.

They critical ingredient in purpose-driven projects is selflessness.

Career-driven

This category is all about projects or initiatives that drive your career forward. But they happen outside of your daily work. Professional development paid for by your workplace doesn’t count.

Identifying a development opportunity and doing it on your own time and dime does.

These are often activities that may not align with the strategic goals of your employer. It might be a skill you need to learn to move into a new career direction. Or a personal line of enquiry related to your career evolution, rather than your current job.

They critical ingredient in career-driven projects is strategy.

Curiosity-driven

This falls at the creative-exploratory end of the scale. It’s all about scratching a personal itch.

These are the things you’re driven to do to find an answer or take the next step in a process. Maybe it’s an idea you need to execute, or something you need to do, just because.

They critical ingredient in curiosity-driven projects is selfishness.

Sometimes these different projects overlap.

You can create a community that also helps you forward your career goals. But don’t go into these things with misguided intentions. If you’re embarking on a purpose-driven project, don’t do it for personal gain. You’ll finish disappointed, lacking the impact your desired to create for others.

If you’re thinking about developing a side-project, use the above list to understand your motivations. Also ask yourself; what’s the ultimate outcome I want to achieve?

Side projects have played a huge part in my career. They’ve helped me foster new relationships, create opportunities and build new knowledge. This has left me better equipped to surf waves of uncertainty and increase career resilience.

I'm confident they can help you do the same.