Clarify what you are really trying to do. In other words, at the end of the day, what will you accomplish by doing this?

Are you trying to :

a. Answer a question?

b. Resolve an issue?

c. Make a decision?

d. Produce something?

Once you are clear on this, then proceed to the next step.

Highlight what “complete” looks like. Or in other words, describe what the completed work looks like.

If it’s:

a. An answer – what would be the characteristics of ‘the right answer’? how would you know it is the right one? Does it matter where the answer comes from?

b. A resolved issue – what would this look like? Does it mean some sort of agreement from people who are involved? Who are these people? What are they expecting from the resolution?

c. A decision – similar to a resolved issue but involves not just agreement but also acceptance as a decision may ultimately lead to actions on people’s part.

d. A product – What does each part of the product look like? Who gave the requirements for it? Who accepts the quality of the product? Can you describe what quality means for it?

Once you can describe what you will have when you complete what you are doing, proceed to the next step.

Evaluate where you are and check why you have not progressed

a. What do you need to proceed? A related decision? Information? Material?

b. Do you need help with something? Do you need someone with the right skills or someone to explain a difficult idea?

In other words, know what is stopping you. Once you do, you can :

Address the stumbling blocks by laying out the set of steps that will get you to overcome them.

If it’s a decision, do you know who the best person is to make it?

If it’s an answer, do you know who is best able to give it?

If it’s a material you need, do you know where to get it?

If it requires skill you don’t have right now, do you know who can provide it?

If you do not have the answers to the above, do you know who might be able to?

Then ask the question “when do you need it?”.

Once you’ve listed these steps down and know when they have to be done, you can lay out your plan.

Take action – Do the steps.

Carry out the steps and see where your plan takes you. If you did the previous steps correctly, you should end up in a better situation than when you started.

Lastly, review where you are now after you’ve done the CHEAT. You might need to repeat the cycle until you finally complete what you are trying to do.

Cheating is a vicious cycle with the cheater ending up in a worse state after the cheat.

On the other hand, CHEATing is a improving cycle. It is quite similar to the Japanese Kaizen

approach. It is also consistent with the principles in the Can Do CODE.

A principled ace up your sleeves.