Too Many Project Ideas, Too Little Time?
Here's How I Finally Got My Priorities Straight
You know that feeling when your brain is buzzing with a million project ideas, but you end up either doing nothing or working on something totally random? Yeah, I've been there. Like, way too many times. But I recently figured out a pretty cool system that's helped me get my priorities straight, and I thought I'd share it with you.
Here's the thing - I'm always thinking about new ideas and better ways to do stuff. The problem is that each new project usually needs some serious learning time before I can even start working on it. And the time spent on one project is time you can't spend on another. It's that whole opportunity cost thing we all struggle with.
My solution is actually super simple (and yes, it involves AI, because sometimes we need somewhat of an unbiased opinion).
Here's what I did:
1. I grabbed a whiteboard and made a simple table
2. Listed all my major projects (we're talking big stuff here, not daily tasks)
3. Added some key factors for each project:
- Whether it's personal or work-related
- Required learning courses
- Time/effort needed (1-5 scale)
- How passionate I am about it
- Future value potential
Note: Don't overthink the ratings when you're filling out your table. Your first instinct is usually pretty spot-on, and too much analysis can lead to those sneaky biases we're trying to avoid.
The cool part? I took a picture of this whiteboard and fed it to an AI tool (I used Perplexity). I asked it to rank my projects from 1-6 priority.
It gave me this super clear breakdown:
My top priorities turned out to be "ML for Dummies" and a "Pre Law/Med Recommendation Model" (both tied for first), followed by an Algo Trading Platform. Projects like Cookflix and a Raspberry Pi live feed system landed lower on the list.
Why this works so well:
- It forces you to be honest about what each project really needs
- Removes emotional bias from decision-making
- Gives you a clear starting point
- Helps you see which projects might need to wait
The best part is that this system is flexible - you can add whatever metrics matter most to you. But keep it simple at first. The goal isn't to create the perfect system; it's to stop spinning your wheels and start making progress on what really matters.
— Dictated by Shreyash, Written by Perplexity