One of the most common reasons we abandon personal projects is that we start with something too big.
A two-minute video. A polished portfolio piece. A full series.
And in reality, we only have, maybe, 4 hours that week.
As probably many of you, I have this topic around my head pretty much all the time 😅.
This post is about lowering the scope. Not the quality, the size.
Because sometimes, what you need to move forward is simply to start from a simple shape, color, 10 frames.
That simple thing brings clarity. It gets you back in motion. And that’s already creating.
I go deeper into this in The Motion Workout, but I wanted to share it here too, because I know this happens to many of us.
Let’s dive right in 🏄🏻♂️.
🧩 The problem: thinking big with no time to back it up
Ambition isn’t the issue.
But if you only have 4 hours this week, you won’t magically pull off a full video, especially if it involves learning something new in the process.
That gap leaves you frustrated, and feeling like you just can’t finish things.
But really, the problem isn’t you.
It’s the project you picked.
I mean, at some point it’s great that you can aim to create a project like that. It’s just that having that as the measure of ‘progress’ it’s something that -for me- it’s impossible to chase on a daily basis.
🎯 Choose your project based on time
This is simple:
👉 You have 4 hours → pick something that fits in 4 hours
.
That could be:
• Animating a 5-second loop.
• Designing a character.
• Testing one new technique.
The focus isn’t scale.
Or it could be, a progress of 4hours into something bigger, that builds on time.
The focus is finishing something that gives you a sense of progress.
If you want a more structured guide to help you organize and finish your personal projects, check out The Motion Workout.
A 6 weeks workshop to actually create a personal project.
It walks you through how to choose the right idea, scope it properly, and actually finish it.
If you prefer to directly sign up:
📍 What it means to move forward (when the scope is smaller)
Sometimes we think progress = publishing something big.
But progress can also be for example, sitting down for 30 minutes to explore an idea, opening After Effects and organizing your files or a template to start a new project, creating a short 3-second test.
That’s already forward motion.
And often, those small steps are what unlock the bigger projects later.
🎯 Having a clear goal gives direction
Before you start anything, ask: What do I want out of this?
Maybe: “Get more comfortable animating with curves.”
Or: “Explore a new visual style.”
With that in mind, it’s easier to choose what to make, and to know when it’s done.
🧘♂️ You don’t need to impress anyone
This is probably the one I keep repeating myself all the time. This doesn’t need to be a perfect piece.
It’s not for a client.
You’re not proving anything.
It’s just a step.
One that connects to the one before it. And the next. And if you do that every week, that’s already a practice.
We've all been there. Working on personal progress is tough, and paradoxically, even more so when you're already in the industry. Having small tips like these can make a huge difference—they help spark that little dopamine boost after creating something, completing a task, and making real progress.
By the way, this post came at the perfect time for me and my own growth. Really appreciate you sharing this, Esteban. Sending a big abrazo from Argentina!