The Iterative Approach: Grace for Your Journey
Easy Like Sunday Morning
The Iterative Approach: Grace for Your Journey
In project management, we use a term called “iterative.” It’s pretty different from traditional project management, which starts with an end goal in mind and moves forward until completion. In the traditional approach, we lay out all risks, estimate timelines, set budgets, and monitor work until it’s done.
The two approaches differ significantly because an iterative approach acknowledges that the first attempt may not perfectly match what was initially envisioned. This version becomes the first iteration or phase. Technology is implemented this way—constantly evolving. We only use the traditional approach when we’re certain about a project’s outcome: perhaps a building, a car, or something that has been done before. The iterative approach shines when you need to release an idea, continuously improve it, and develop it over time.
Definiton – Iterative: the process of doing something again and again, usually to improve it, or one of the times you do it.
Cambridge Dictionary
Definition – iterative: the process of doing something again and again, usually to improve it, or one of the times you do it – Cambridge Dictionary
I was having a conversation with one of my girlfriends this past week when she began criticizing herself for not knowing what she felt she should know by now. In a vulnerable moment, she was struggling with learning a skill in real-time while applying it to her daily responsibilities. I replied, “Who told us that we had to know everything upfront? Where do we get that belief from?”
It reminded me of the iterative approach in my work as a professional Project Manager. The grace we give a project that adopts this approach from the start is tenfold. We understand there may be mishaps we don’t foresee. It’s accepted that things will emerge that we simply couldn’t predict. When these instances happen, we return to the drawing board, incorporate new findings into what we know, and plan for another iteration. We repeat this process until the idea is fully executed and operating at maximum efficiency.
What if we thought of our own lives that same way? We all have an idea of who we want to be and what we want to accomplish. I’ve learned a thing or two about trying to know it all on the first attempt—it usually doesn’t work. Thank God for His grace and mercy—the visionary of our plan. This is why prayer is key to realizing our dreams and desires. We can communicate and be in conversation with the One who has the ultimate project plan. God knows we won’t get it right every time, so He redirects, course corrects, protects, and counsels us along the way.
If you’re being hard on yourself for not knowing how to do something—anything really—in your life, stop, reassess, and try again. That’s the beauty of life: every single day, new mercies I see. You’re learning on the job—whether it’s parenting, running a business, stepping into a new role, navigating a relationship, maintaining friendships, or adopting a healthy lifestyle.
The only ones waiting for you at the finish line are YOU and God. Release any judgment, comparison, or false timelines hanging over your head. I would venture to say, stop counting the number of iterations it’s taking you to reach that next milestone. All things work together for our good.
I hope this encourages you.
With Love, Feleccia
Feleccia
P.S. I enjoyed this interview with Badass Boz on Question Everything. Her journey is an excellent example of learning as you go, trusting your intuition, and believing in your magic.
