Literally, milestones are stones set beside a road to show the distance to or from a particular point. A milestone can be any important point in a development process. When you start a project you might set up some project milestones to mark the points where significant phases of the project are completed and a new stage begins.
Milestones give a project a sense of purpose and direction. They can help keep you on track. They make it easier to note and report progress. They give you a feeling that you’re moving forward, and keep people motivated, even when the road seems long. Reaching an important milestone is a moment for celebration.
Do you have a big project that you’re having trouble getting traction on? Could you break it up into phases, and set up milestones along the way, to keep you on track and motivated?
See also: Path, Journey, Project dependencies, Measurement.
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