Too big of an idea? Shrink the change
I’ve just launched a little passion project. It’s been brewing for two years, sitting in the back of my mind and heart, but every time I thought about launching it, it felt too big. Too much of a time investment. Too “all or nothing.”
So I procrastinated. Quarter after quarter, I told myself soon. In January of this year, I finally drew a line in the sand: launch something—anything—before the end of 2025. Still, I kept stumbling over the same hurdles—getting a landing page just right, organizing every detail, perfecting the rollout.
2025 was flying by and I knew I wanted to keep my commitment to myself. That’s when I remembered a concept from Chip and Dan Heath’s book Switch: shrink the change.
Instead of treating this passion project like a massive, all-consuming launch, I decided to break it down into smaller, doable moves. Here’s how I approached it:
1. Make a deadline for yourself.
Without a finish line, “someday” easily becomes “never.” My January commitment to launch a pilot before year’s end gave me the push I needed to stop spinning my wheels and start shipping as Seth Godin says.
2. Take the pressure off.
I didn’t commit to forever. I committed to a 6-week pilot. That simple boundary turned a daunting vision into a short, doable experiment.
3. Find co-creators, not an audience.
Rather than announcing a finished product, I invited volunteers to help me shape it. This flipped the dynamic: instead of needing all the answers, I get to be in conversation, testing and learning together. I didn’t even create a web presence — just a description of my offering I sent to my network in an email.
4. Offer it at no cost.
This decision was so helpful. By removing cost entirely (even a discounted rate), I took the “transactional” pressure off. This allowed me to focus on learning and improving, not proving.
5. Surround yourself with inspiring people.
I joined a women’s entrepreneur group in January, and seeing the way others facilitated and offered their ideas lit a spark for me. They also were there to hold me accountable for launching a pilot this year.
6. Build feedback loops.
From day one, I baked in opportunities for feedback. Not as an afterthought, but as part of the DNA of the project. This makes participants true co-creators, and it ensures the project will grow into something richer than I could have built alone.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the work itself—it’s the expectations we pile on top. By shrinking the change, I was finally able to move from “someday” to “day one.” And in just six weeks, I’ll have learnings and momentum to carry forward.
Who knows? If it keeps growing, I may be ready to share it more widely. You’ll be the first to know.