Productivity Prompt: Next Action

This is the first in a series of weekly Productivity Prompts - quick, simple tips or practices gleaned from productivity-related books or blogs that have helped me better manage my work, my time, or move things forward.

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When feeling scattered or stymied by a particular project, whether it's writing a book proposal, crafting an email or cleaning out the closet, ask yourself:

"What am I trying to do here? What's my next action?"

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Credits, references & inspiration:

• David Allen, Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life
• The importance of a next, specific action is also a big part of Scott Belsky's approach described in Making Ideas Happen, Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision & Reality.
• An article by Trent Hamm at the The Simple Dollar that talks about taking action in the context of personal finance (another semi-obsession of mine).