Define your purpose and lay the groundwork for your side project. Focus on what matters most.

Goals for the Week

• Understand your “why” and the purpose behind your project.

  Get clear on the deeper reason you’re starting this. What excites you about the idea? Why is it meaningful to you or your audience? This clarity will keep you motivated when challenges arise.

• Distill your idea into a single, clear sentence.

  Simplify your concept into one easy-to-understand statement that captures the essence of your project. This will help you communicate it to others and stay focused.

  Your idea doesn’t need to be perfect or fully formed. It just needs to be something you’re excited to explore.

  Example: "I’ll create a space where followers of Herstory Instagram can write and interact with personal ads, designed to help people connect and be entertained."

• Set 3 tangible outcomes for your first 30 days.

  Choose small, actionable goals you can realistically accomplish in the next month. These will help you make progress and validate your idea.

  Example outcomes I achieved in Week 1 for Personals/Lex:

  1. Create a Google Doc form with prompts for writing a personal ad.
  2. Share the form with 5 friends for feedback on clarity and user experience.
  3. Post about the project on social media to gauge interest and encourage participation.

Steps to Complete This Week

1. Write Your Project Idea in One Sentence.

   • Keep it simple: What is the project, and who is it for?
   • Examples of One-Sentence Ideas:

2. Create Your “Why” Statement.

   Use these questions to reflect and create your "why" statement:

   • Why are you starting this project?
     • Example: "Because I want to share creative tools I wish I had when I was starting out."
   • What impact do you want it to have?
     • Example: "I want to help mid-career professionals turn ideas into actionable plans."
   • What personal goals will it help you achieve?
     • Example: "This project will give me a way to connect with others while building my brand and sharpening my skills."
     • If you’re stuck, think about what success looks like for this project in 1 month, 6 months, or a year.
   • Examples from Kel’s Projects:

3. List 3 Tangible Outcomes for This Project.

   • Focus on outcomes you can achieve in the first 30 days.
   • Example Outcomes for Lex:

Interactive Tools for Week 1

1. Reflection Prompts:

   Use these prompts to clarify your thoughts:

   • What excites me most about this idea?
   • Examples:
   • What scares me most about starting?
   • Examples:
   • If I could only focus on one thing this week, what would it be?
   • Examples:

2. Clarity Worksheet Template:

   This template will help you define your idea, motivations, and first steps.

   Column	Example
   Idea	"Create a platform for mid-career professionals to launch side projects."
   Why	"To help others overcome the fear of starting something new."
   Key Outcomes	"Build a starter kit, share with 3 people, and collect feedback."

   How to Use the Template:

   • Step 1: Write a one-sentence description of your idea in the “Idea” column.
   • Step 2: Fill in your “Why”—the purpose behind starting this project.
   • Step 3: List 3 tangible outcomes you want to achieve in 30 days.

   Make a copy of the worksheet or tracker so you can adapt it to your specific needs.

   ➡️ Click here to duplicate the Clarity Worksheet.

3. Bonus Tool: 30-Day Daily Focus Tracker:

   For those who love chaos and have big dreams, I created a daily task tracker to keep you consistent. Even small steps, like writing your one-sentence idea, are worth celebrating. Progress is progress!

   Date	Focus Task for the Day	Completed?	Small Win	Reflection/Next Steps
   1/1/2024	Write my one-sentence project summary.	✅	Clarified my project’s focus.	Felt good to start. Next: write my “why.”
   1/2/2024	Draft my “why” statement.	✅	Received positive feedback from a friend.	Motivated to continue. No challenges.

   Make a copy of the worksheet or tracker so you can adapt it to your specific needs.

   ➡️ Click here to duplicate the 30-Day Daily Focus Tracker.

Success Checklist for Week 1 ✅

• [ ] I have a one-sentence summary of my project.
• [ ] I’ve written a “why” statement that motivates me.