Productivity Toolbox: The Next Right Action

This was originally posted on Scoutie Girl earlier this year. I'm repeating it here because a) it's still relevant and b) I could bear to read it again. Feeling overwhelmed with a few tasks before me this morning, I pulled this tool out of my productivity toolbox and lo & behold, I got moving.

~~~

The other day someone asked me how I managed to accomplish what I’ve accomplished these past several months. My answer? One action at a time.

Of course I used planning and productivity tools along the way, it’s what I do, but at the crux of getting things done lies a simple, powerful tool: the next right action.

You have a goal; you may have several. You want to make them happen, but you feel scattered or stymied and don’t know where to start. Stop, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: "What am I trying to do here? What’s my next action?"

Is it sending the email? Researching your local craft fair options (15 minutes is all it takes to get started!)? Maybe it’s putting the finishing touches on that painting or writing up the listing description.

Or, maybe it’s a massive brainstorming session to get all of those ideas out of your head and onto paper.

You don’t need to figure it all out now, just figure out what needs to be done next. Then do it.

Keep taking that next right action and I swear, without your even noticing it, things will get done.

I dare you to try it and see for yourself.

On productivity and play...

creative play with dandelion, before & after pics (created using GIMP)

Yesterday I spent the afternoon playing with images in GIMP, a free image manipulation program with features similar to Photoshop. I let go of must-do's and played, with no expectations.

I ended up:

~ stumbling upon an image, by digitally modifying one of my photos, that would be a perfect book jacket for a book, thus inspiring me to start researching its publication,

~ drafting a poster for a project that's brewing,

~ figuring out how to transform images in a new-to-me way, opening up many, many creative possibilities for new products,

~ designing two new greeting cards for the shop, with two more in draft state, and

~ experiencing a powerful wave of creative energy that I hadn't experienced in a while, motivating me to carry on with my creative biz.

Right brain play translated into new projects and a renewed energy to carry them through.

The moral of this story?

Unstructured, creative play can be just as valuable to productivity and business as goals and to-do lists.

Try it. You might be surprised at the results.

Scoutie Girl Blog Post

It's time for another blog post on Scoutie Girl. This week I muse about success factors and what could be put in place to increase our chances of meeting our goals. I want to know: what are your success factors?

And if you missed my previous post there a few weeks ago, go check it out! Called A Procrastinator's Guide to Procrastination, it's where I finally come clean: I'm a planning geek who procrastinates. <gasp!>

Make Your Fabulous Project Happen

 

Be Free and Soar (prints available here, cards here)

Now that the kids are back in school and back-to-work routines are settling, is it time to dust off that fabulous project you want to bring to life?

You know, the one that's been calling you for a while? The one that makes your heart skip a beat when you think about it, but just hasn't seen the light of day yet?

It's OK. You've been busy; it was that time of year, and before that it was summer. But now...

Now maybe you have a little more time on your hands. Maybe even enough time to start moving forward on the online shop you've been meaning to open; the new web site you want to build; or the kid-friendly gathering space you want to create in your home, before the holidays roll around.

Maybe you want to do all of it, but you're not sure where to start, or how you're going to make it happen.

Don't let that stop you. You don't have to have it all figured out.

Just start somewhere.

Start with one baby step, then another, then another... and watch it unfold before your very eyes.

Don't let neglected dreams and projects become regrets; your beat-skipping heart will thank you for it.

~~~

If you want extra support or accountability to get started, I can help.

I love seeing people take action on dreams and projects that make them come alive. It makes me come alive too! And I love dissecting projects and goals into baby steps - doable baby steps. Someone once asked me how I managed to accomplish all that I'd accomplished in a span of five months. My answer? One action at a time.

If you have a deadline to meet, we'll work with that. If you don't, we'll work on gaining momentum. Everybody has their pace.

It's not always about racing to the finish line; it's about making sure you leave the gate.

Take a look at the 3 one-on-one packages I offer and see if anything tickles your fancy. Yea or nay, give yourself that first step forward. Make that fabulous project happen!

New Scoutie Girl Post

I'm on Scoutie Girl this week, where I talk about goals, pushing, and puttering. Bottom line: it's all good.

Read it here.