Why you haven’t launched your Online Portfolio yet

Portfolio Principles: Week 05. First appeared in my mail list.

This episode is part of a series called Portfolio Principles. In this series, I help people to build a more effective portfolio. Get weekly portfolio building tips.
All opinions my own.

To most people, the hardest thing about building an online portfolio is getting to the point where you can finally launch. A portfolio seems like a black hole, sucking up all energy and time. A never ending project.

Many people don’t even make it to the finish line. An unfinished portfolio will soon start to collect digital dust on an old hard drive.

What can you do about it? The main reason that prevents you from launching your online portfolio, is how you look at the launch. You look at the launch as the finish line.

The main reason that prevents you from launching your online portfolio, is how you look at the launch. You look at the launch as the finish line.

Why? Because that’s how you imagine a launch. You imagine fireworks and champagne. Celebrating your hard work.

It is also what you want it to be. You want it to be the finish line. You want it to be over because you have been sprinting your ass off to make it.

However, one result of seeing the launch as the finish line is that you consider the launch portfolio as final. You consider it as something definite, something that cannot be changed.

And because you see your launch portfolio as definite, you aim too high. You set yourself unrealistic standards because you feel that you can’t go back once you launch.

You set yourself unrealistic standards because you feel
that you can’t go back once you launch.

You aim for too much content. Feared that you might forget to show one of your many skills, you try to show everything. You dig up some old projects, thinking that there might be some value in them.

You aim for an unrealistic quality. How can you suddenly expect yourself to create a pixel perfect design while you are not used to pushing pixels? Why do you demand yourself to write excellent text, but you are not a copywriter? You expect yourself to live up to the bar you have set yourself, but you cannot.

These unrealistic aims cause you to procrastinate. Meanwhile, insecurity about your skills rise. Fed by perfectionism, a common trait among creatives, you mind end up in a negative circle. A circle that causes you to never launch at all.

Another result of seeing the portfolio launch as the finish line is that you will pull off a sprint, once you think you are almost there. However in reality, the finish line is always further than you imagine it to be. If you pull off a final sprint, but won’t make it till the end, you are in trouble.

The finish line is always further than you imagine it to be.

The Solution.

So what can you do about this? The true answer is quite simple actually. Stop seeing your launch as the end. Get used to launching smaller parts, more frequently. These two easy steps will help you.

1.
Rank your pages on priority.

Start by ranking your pages on priority. How do you know which pages have priority? Think about the goal of your portfolio. What are you trying to achieve? Now order your pages based on how much impact you expect each one to have on achieving your goal. This ranking will make sure you keep focused towards your goal.

Order your pages based on how much impact you expect
each one to have on achieving your goal.

Let me give you an example. The main aim of my portfolio is to build a network of followers. My portfolio helps me to build relationships with people in my industry. The one page that is crucial in getting people to connect with me is my contact page. Therefore, I would put that page on the top of my list. I want people to get to know me, even before looking at my work. Therefore, the about me page takes the second position. Furthermore I would continue with my favorite project page, a homepage and so on.

2.
Focus on launching one page at the time.
Build, launch, continue.

Now you have ranked your pages, you can focus on the page at the top of your list. Spend all of your time on building that one single page, launch it and then continue on the next. Every page is like a little sprint. Still a sprint, but a reasonable sprint.

Every page is like a little sprint. Still a sprint, but a reasonable sprint.

It is true that you cannot see your pages as being completely separated from each other. That’s why you might have to update a page which you previously launched, to keep the pages consistent. However, it is still important that you stick to launching just one new page.

These mini tasks will keep you motivated. You will also get used to updating your portfolio regularly. That’s how you will keep it alive.

So stop seeing your portfolio launch as the finish line. If you train yourself to do shorter sprints, you will run further on the long term.

This episode is part of a series called Portfolio Principles. In this series, I help people to build a more effective portfolio. Get weekly portfolio building tips.

If you enjoyed reading this article, I would appreciate it if you hit the “Recommend” button.