Turning Chaos into Clarity
How Milestones Transformed My Video Diary
For the last few months, I've been diligently recording my video diary. Every single day, without fail, I’ve captured the date, my thoughts, my progress, and yes, even my fails. It's been my ritual since March or April, and as an editor, I'm no stranger to the grind of sifting through endless footage. Making TV shows, especially documentaries, takes time. Often, you start with an idea of the story, but how you get there? That's shaped by a moment, a line from an interesting character, or an unexpected twist that sends the narrative spiraling in a new direction.
But this past week, I found myself questioning the point of it all. My YouTube channel is growing at a glacial pace—I'm talking four subscribers slow. Sure, I know that this video diary content will play a big role eventually, but I was starting to feel like I was drowning in a sea of footage, with no clear way to navigate it all.
This morning, while recording a summary of my weekend—a visit to a castle, some family time—I couldn't shake the frustration of creating content without a clear vision of what these videos are supposed to become. It felt like I was throwing paint at a canvas in the dark, hoping for a masterpiece.
But then something clicked. After recounting my weekend, I started organizing my thoughts. I had a productive weekend of planning on Trello (thanks, ChatGPT!). I broke down my goals: first, YouTube, then the challenges I'm facing, and finally, the shifting industry landscape in Bristol. And that’s when it hit me, right as I said these words: “When my YouTube channel hits 100 subscribers, it’ll be a real milestone.”
Milestones. That was it.
Now, this realization isn’t just for editors or content creators. It’s something that can apply to any project, big or small. Whether you’re working on a business plan, planning a big move, or trying to develop a new skill, finding your milestones can be the key to unlocking progress.
So, how do you get there? Here are a few techniques that can help anyone, regardless of the field, reach that "aha" moment:
Break Down Your Goals: Start by listing out the big things you want to achieve. They don’t have to be perfectly defined, but getting them on paper or screen is the first step. Once you have that, try breaking them down into smaller, more manageable milestones. What’s the first small win you need to achieve to make progress? This can be as simple as “finish the first draft” or “set up the initial meeting.”
Reverse-Engineer the Milestone: Once you have a milestone, work backward. What steps do you need to take to get there? In my case, it was realizing that my milestone—hitting 100 subscribers—would help guide the content I create. For you, it might be figuring out the key tasks that will lead to securing your first client, completing a major task, or mastering a new technique.
Embrace the Unknown: Sometimes, you won’t see the full path ahead, and that’s okay. The key is to trust that the process of moving forward—however slowly—will eventually bring clarity. Keep working, keep creating, and allow yourself to be flexible. The “why” might not be clear now, but it can emerge as you move forward.
Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize when you’ve hit a milestone, even a small one. Each one is a step forward, and each one can give you the motivation to keep going. Whether it’s finishing a chapter, landing a new client, or simply getting through a tough week, these small victories matter.
Suddenly, the number of potential videos exploded in my mind, all sparked by this one simple realization. The irony? When we edit a film about lions or a day in the life of a chef, the structure we settle on always hinges on milestones. A good milestone gives you a starting point, something to work backward from. It instantly adds that crucial “what’s at stake” element. It brings jeopardy, a ticking clock—everything that drives a compelling story.
Tools to Track Your Own Milestones:
If you’re thinking about creating and publishing something similar, tracking milestones is key. Here are a few tools that can help you break down the process and stay on course:ChatGPT by OpenAI: Use ChatGPT for brainstorming, creating action plans, and setting deadlines for each milestone. It’s like having a virtual assistant to help break down big projects into manageable steps.Trello: Visualize your project with boards and lists. Create cards for each task or milestone, and move them through stages like "To-Do," "In Progress," and "Completed." A perfect way to see your progress at a glance.
Notion: An all-in-one workspace where you can create tables, timelines, or calendar views to track your milestones. Set up a project management dashboard and track your tasks and deadlines.
Google Calendar: Schedule milestones and set reminders for approaching deadlines. Visualizing your timeline helps keep everything on track.
Asana: Create projects and break them into milestones and tasks. Its timeline view helps ensure each part of the project aligns with your overall schedule.
Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets: Use spreadsheets to list milestones, assign deadlines, and track progress. Simple yet powerful for manual milestone tracking.
Todoist: Manage your to-do lists with project-specific tasks and subtasks. Set milestones as tasks, assign deadlines, and get reminders to keep you on track.
With this simple, yet crucial, and now seemingly obvious epiphany, I can finally start to make sense of the terabytes of video diaries I’ve recorded. I’ll keep recording, but now, I’m doing it with confidence, knowing that even if you can’t see the destination, sometimes you just have to trust the journey.
So, if you’re like me, feeling lost in your own sea of content—or whatever your project may be—wondering if you should keep going, take this as a sign: find your milestones. They might just be the catalyst you need to turn chaos into clarity, frustration into focus. And remember, even if you don’t know where you’re headed, just keep going—trust the process.
