The Importance Of Milestones

Every project of any size or complexity goes through stages, usually a "Okay, now that we have X done we can start on W." (Oops, maybe using 'W' is not so good an idea.) Who knows what Homeland Security and the Secret Service might think when reading "we can start on [the letter after U]?" But maybe that is just my Political Science education background showing through.

These end of stages are usually called "milestones." Dating from Roman times and from the Latin milliarium, milestones were originally stone obelisks on the side of the road--the first were on the Appian Way--to mark distance traveled. I digress.

Anyway, yesterday the "Pop's Garage" project reached a key milestone. We moved Mom and Pop into their new home. Phew. While happy certainly, each were more than a little dazed by it all, that in a short 14.5 km (9 mile) drive their life could change so drastically. I left them at 9pm last night, in their chairs watching their new flat-screen TV, or so it appeared: while their eyes were open I am sure they were instead looking inwards, lost in amazement at this latest turn in their life's road.

I mention the above for a number of reasons. One is to continue my examination of projects. In this case the importance of setting then celebrating milestones. In every complex endeavor it is easy to get lost in the sheer size of the deal. Milestones help break the project up into bite-sized pieces, each with goals easier to focus on.

And then to celebrate, another reason. Nothing builds confidence more than success, or in the case of big projects, a series of successes. When we kids were done last night and parents were in their new common dining room we had a beer and patted each other on the back. No one talked about tomorrow, or the (still huge) job yet to be done: last night we celebrated what was completed, a great feeling.

A last reason to mention milestones is to explain why I am not posting every day, and why this post is, well, not Acme-centric. Acme returns tomorrow.

I promised one and all I would take a day off today, which is why at I am sitting here at 7:04AM on a Sunday morning writing this. Why I will go to the old home in about an hour to collect some things we forgot to move (like a garbage can), or why ... I won't rest until the job is done. Sometime in late August. Sigh.

One final story from yesterday. Each vehicle loaded to the gunnels with furniture (see picture of truck above), we pulled into the parking lot like Okies escpaing the dustbowl. Upon entering the new, still empty, suite, both Brother and sister said, "The chairs won't fit ... nor will the bed."

Oh ye of little faith. I assured them I'd measured, thrice, and that everything would fit. The rule here (a rule anyway) is that chaos always takes up more room than tidy.