We Need To Go Meta!

The Power of Higher-Order Projects

This is the fourth issue of fractal productivity. Here are the preceding installments:

1. Fractal Productivity — A foray into the self-similarity of Accomplishment

2. Discovering the Personal Program — In search for a missing piece in contemporary productivity jargon

3. The Personal Program — Real life example of a rare animal

Haven't read these? I recommend you do, as they set the stage for what’s to come.

Photo by Sandro Katalina on Unsplash

Throughout this series, I have already given you definitions and examples for my concept of programs. If you are still not quite with me, here are two more alternatives to view them.

1. One is to call them meta projects. "Meta" in the sense that they sit one layer above projects. So this is like saying that a project sits above tasks.

2. Another way would be to say that a program is a higher-order project. "Higher-order" in the sense that it's a project for managing projects.  This is like saying a project is "a task for managing tasks." So, this nicely highlights its fractal nature.

No matter which definition you choose. The main lesson is this: in personal productivity, we usually only think about either tasks or projects. Most of the time, this is all we need. But it's indisputable that there is at least one more work unit that sits above those. Whether we realize it or not, this unit of work manifests itself in our lives, albeit only occasionally.

Lacking the "program" as a concept can have some major implications. It may increase uncertainty and yield fuzzy commitments. It may hinder communication with others and even lead you to question your whole productivity system.

Now, I understand if you still have some reservations.

• Can't we just "break down a big project into smaller ones" instead of introducing a new unit of work?

• Can't we say "project with sub-projects" — do we really need a new term for that?

• Can't we skip it altogether and try to just always work on small related projects?

So, in this piece, I will address them by laying out seven major advantages of using programs: