It's ridiculous (滑稽) how many times you need to re-learn the same lesson. This time it's about constraints. I always preach this example:
Let's play the most liberating game: there are no rules, we can do whatever we want!
Doom. We are lost in a desert. Free to go in any direction without restrictions. Yeah, but all directions are the same, dull, meaningless. So we stay still, paralysed, doing nothing.
Or better, we wander or get distracted, as it better fits the current world of quick unlimited dopamine rewards (yes, social medias, of course).
No wonder this phenomenon is also called "paralysis of choice": when everything is an option, we find ourselves optionless.
Paradox of choice, state orientation, analysis paralysis. Thinking and thinking, with not much doing.
The solution is simple but unintuitive: to be "free" we need constraints. Less choices, more action.
Mastery and options
As a beginner choices are limited by design. You have no freedom and only one path: get started. No wandering, no creativity, just grinding for the basics. Meaning and satisfaction is found at every step, everything is new, everything is a lesson learned.
That's also why starting something "new" is more exciting: a clear path and a lot to explore.
But then, as you expand your reach, mastery becomes your desert. Nowhere new to explore. So many directions, all heading to the same familiar places. Meaningless repetition without discovery. So you do nothing.
That happened to me with coding. All the projects I did expanded my reach, enlarged my map. But then, every time a project is done, I am back to the same familiar open space.
With no clear path to follow next.
Client constraints
But there is one area where I never lose my way: work.
And, guess what, that's because of constraints (again, talking about re-learning the same lessons here).
As an employee boundaries are everywhere. The team chooses a direction, sets prioritise, and executes. I find myself limited. And that works wonder for creativity.
That's why so many people thrive in a working environment, but lack in their personal life. Both personal care (The 4 pillars) and personal growth.
Self-imposed obligations
An activity I never miss is my newsletter. Guess why?
Once a week, no matter what. I imposed this constraint to myself when I started. Clear and measurable. I never missed.
Looking back (again) the same happened over and over for me in the past (I also wrote a full article about Structured Goals on a similar topic):
- I wrote a 100k words novel by setting a constraint of at least 1k words a day
- I learned how to draw by setting a constraint of 2 hours of practice a day
- I am learning Japanese by setting a constraint of 10 new words each day
It doesn’t even need to be so grandiose or long term:
- I implemented a Trie data structure
- I wrote several courses
- I prepared a talk for a conference
- I built a game in 1 week
Each activity with a limited, precise, liberating scope and constraints.
Macro constraints: tools, scope, and time
Limit what you can use, the size of the project, and how much it will take. Apply all of these 3, and focus and creativity will appear out of nowhere.
The example for me is coding an app. Ideas are plentiful, but lately, without constraints, they all seemed devoid of meaning. Well, let's apply some constraints then, shall we?
First, tools. Specific package, libraries, APIs, styles, platforms, languages, screen size.
Example: my Trie data structure had to be written in plain TypeScript (language), be performant, optimised, immutable, and stack safe. So many constraints, so much focus.
Second, scope. This often implies defining an "end". A 1000 words article. A game with 3 levels. A deck of 20 slides. A concrete number allows to track and visualise progress.
Third, and the most powerful, time. It comes in two forms:
- How much time (hours) assigned for this project?
- When is the deadline (day)?
Welcome my best companion, Parkinson's law: "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion".
Micro constraints
A limit of what you use (tools), how large (scope) and how long (time) may still be too wide.
Some other ideas to squeeze some more focus and creativity:
- Audience (e.g. build an app for beginner Japanese language learners)
- Process restriction (e.g. no edits before finishing the first draft)
- Value (e.g. no ads or tracking)
- Environment (e.g. build this app while offline, without search or AI)
If they are not strict enough at the start, nothing comes out. Therefore, force as many constraints as possible at the beginning. You are always in time to loose them later.
Constraints in action
Let's get concrete. I want to build an app. An "app". Vague, boundless, no action.
Shrink down time first: I have 1 week to build an app.
The field is no more so wide open. Time bounds the scope, while also forcing a schedule. You are forced to think in terms of feasibility, not ambition.
Second: be more specific. Lately I am interested in games and game development. What "app" can I build in 1 week to explore this topic? Idea: a minimal game engine for a 2d game.
The anchors of time and personal interest are my usual 2 initial constraints categories.
Tools. Not much time to explore new languages or platforms in 1 week. Let's stick to my usual toolset: an app for the web, written in TypeScript.
Game development and game engine are too wide. Rendering? Physics? Inputs? Tilemaps? I have no time to build all from scratch. Another constraint: use external libraries, and glue them together to build a working prototype for a game engine.
Objective constraint: I must have a working game build with my engine by the end of the 1 week.
Not enough? What about:
- Only tilemap grids and pixel art
- Top-down 2d, therefore limited physics and collisions
- UI using HTML, no custom UI engine
- Only inputs from keyboard
- Each scene has a fixed size
You get the sense. The more you shrink, the easier it becomes to draw a plan, track progress, and answer the questions "what's next?" and "how close to the end?".
Integrity and self-discipline
I take this for granted, but since I am sharing this with you, let me add this note.
Creative constraints for personal projects require integrity and self-discipline.
Integrity is keeping the promises you make to yourself. Alas, do what you say you will do. Especially when you say things to yourself.
Self-discipline is doing things even if you don’t "feel" like doing them. You are playing for the long term, regardless of how you "feel" in the moment.
No amount of constraints will suffice if you miss either of these two. On the other hand, if you do have both under absolute control, constraints will make you unstoppable.