Two Simple Questions To Avoid Feature Creep In Your Business, Life, And Website
I made a few changes to PJ's tonight.
“The happiness of too many days is often destroyed by trying to accomplish too much in one day. We would do well to follow a common rule for our daily lives - DO LESS, AND DO IT BETTER.” Dale E. Turner
I'm trying to make it easier for my coaching clients to schedule their coaching conversations. So, what I wanted to do was add an icon to the site that would always be there with a link to my calendar system I use (timedriver).
This meant adding another widget to my sidebar.
If you have been a Productivity Junkie for awhile, you have seen me adding more and more things to the sidebar over time. As of this morning I had 11 sidebar widgets. So that meant if I added another it would be a full dozen!
I was hating it.
That's too much! I'm a big believer in minimalism. I like minimalism for the aesthetic and also the feeling. Doesn't a less cluttered room feel more relaxing to you? Doesn't a less cluttered work space make you more productive, focused? Doesn't a less cluttered website make it easier to find what you want?
I was starting to get feature creep on PJ's.
Feature creep is the proliferation of features in a product such as computer software.[1] Extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and so can result in baroque over-complication, or "featuritis", rather than simple, elegant design. - Via Wikipedia
This put me at a dilemma. I was becoming what I disliked. So, what was I to do? Well, I asked myself these two simple questions and you can ask yourself also to avoid feature creep in your business, life and website.
1. Is what I want to do/add essential?
2. What can I eliminate in order to do/add?
So, for the first question I answered yes. Yes, it was essential that I add this feature to my website. It would make life easier for my real estate coaching clients. It would make life easier for me. I would save time not having to write and send an email each month with the updated coaching schedule. My coaching clients would save time not having to search in their email every time they wanted to schedule a coaching conversation.
The next question, I decided that I could eliminate two features. In fact, I'm making that my rule. Here it is on twitter.
The problem with feature creep in our business, life and websites is that it distracts us. It distracts us from what is important. It distracts from priorities. It distracts from what is enjoyable.
Feature creep in our business shows up with taking on a new project, another meeting, adding another system. We makes things complicated, making it difficult to focus.
Look at the next project you are contemplating. Ask yourself the two simple questions.
Feature creep in our life shows up by buying to many gadgets, having to much stuff, living excess.
Look at the next toy you want to purchase. Ask yourself the two simple questions.
Feature creep shows up in our life by adding widgets, features and buttons that distract.
Look at your website. Ask yourself about every feature or widget you have, is it essential. Would a buyer or seller visiting my website miss this?