The right time to reflect on a project and capture your insights is immediately after.
The day after we hosted a graduation open house last summer, we opened the shopping list.
We had used online resources to make a solid list, but it turned out to be far more than was needed – unsurprisingly. So in the spreadsheet, we added a column of what we actually needed that day. And while it was still very fresh in our minds, we made all the notes we’d need three years later.
That’s the right time to reflect on a finished project – immediately after. And it’s all-too-seldom done. I know I rarely get to it. But an hour meeting the week after the musical closes, or after you return from a tour abroad, or after the school year ends…this is the moment to capture all the insights you’ve gained.
Wait too long, and it’ll be fuzzy at best. If we hadn’t made that list when we did, we would have no real option but to repeat our overbuying the next time. Our memories are simply too fallible.