What's Your Cue?

lighting my office candle usually signals that I'm settling down

with my Higher Power to work or play at something special

Cues, signals, triggers, we see them all over the place. I'm not talking about signals like body language here (though they're important too!), I'm talking about aids - mostly visual, sometimes ritual - we use to prompt us into action.

I often use cues to help me achieve what I want to achieve:

I put a boot in the middle of the entrance floor to remind me to re-start the dryer I stopped in mid-cycle before I left the house (call me paranoid but I don't like to leave the dryer running when there's no one home).

I place my bills in my line of sight at the computer so I don't forget to pay them.

My husband and I leave the yoga mat where we'll see it to remind each other to work out - he leaves it by the couch for me and I leave it in his man cave, usually close to his desk.

the Magic Yoga Mat prompts me to exercise

Often, before I paint or work on a special task or project, I light a candle and meditate on its flame for a few seconds, grounding myself and opening myself to inspiration from my Higher Power.

From the mundane to the not-so-mundane, cues serve me every day.

How do - or could - they serve you?

Slow and Steady

"Turtle turtle, where do you go?"

"Wherever I go it will be slow."

Patience is not always my forte, I like quick results. But these days I'm getting plenty of opportunity to practice not only patience but persistence, slow and steady movement toward my goals.

I want to lose 12 lbs. The first week I changed my food intake was great, I lost three pounds, that's one whole quarter of my goal! The second week? One pound. Not so impressive, but it's still a pound lost so I continue on my food journey and trust that I can do it again. One more pound is my goal. Slow and steady.

I want to incorporate exercise into my routine. I haven't exercised in years. I found a home workout that consists of a sequence of old-school exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups and burpees (thanks Tingle and Amy Gretchen!). For maximum results it's suggested that I repeat the sequence three to five times.

The first time I tried it I got through one repetition and less than half-way through a second before I surrendered and called it quits. The second time I worked out I got through the entire sequence twice. What did I change? I slowed down for the second repetition, realizing that I was more interested in completion than speed. Slow and steady got me through it.

I want to create revenue through meaningful work. I'm working on several products, potential income streams and behind-the-scenes updates to make it so. I have ambitious goals for January and I don't know if I'll meet them. What I do know is that I can persist with the next right action on each one. Slow and steady.

Sometimes sprinting, endorphins and exhilaration are necessary and the best way to get 'er done. Other times, slow and steady is the way to go. It's probably the surest strategy that'll get you to the finish line.

Productivity Prompt: Choose Pretty, Quality Tools

This is the sixth and last of this 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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Choose tools that make you happy when you work. The more they make you happy, the more you'll want to work with them.

Are your paintbrushes constantly shedding?

Would you prefer extra fine coloured pens to the blue BIC ball points you've been working with since kindergarten? (Not dissin' BIC here, blue ball points have a purpose I'm sure.)

How about your daily planner? Are you using the plain black one they give you for free at the office or would you prefer to have something that reflects your creative style amidst your fellow cube-mates?

Supplies are available for me at the office, but in some cases I choose to splurge on my own to have pens, notebooks and paper clips that bring me pleasure. Though it's subtle, they DO make a difference.

"The aesthetics of the tools you use to make ideas happen matter."

~ Scott Belsky, Making Ideas Happen

Try it. With just one small thing. You'll see.

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Credits, references & inspiration:

• Scott Belsky, Making Ideas Happen, Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision & Reality.
• Cirque du Soleil - In 2007 I attended a presentation by the Corporate Sales Manager at Cirque du Soleil and one of the things that stuck with me is their commitment to giving performers quality materials to work with. I remember him saying that we may not know that a jacket is made from good quality leather, but the performer who's wearing it does, and that will be reflected in his or her performance. This summer I saw their show Totem in Montreal and the main character's costume contained over 4,000 pieces of Swarovski crystal and mirrors. Now that's aesthetics!

Productivity Prompt: Setting a Temporary Focus

This is the fifth 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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Last week I talked about setting a daily focus by identifying three Most Important Tasks (MITs) that would make you a happy camper if completed.

This week is kind of the same, but different.

Instead of identifying tasks for a day or a week, I suggest identifying areas of focus for a longer period of time. For example:

"For the next three months I will focus my energy on hearth & home, finances, and photography."

Or, you may want to make it a little more specific:

"For the next three months I will focus on setting up the family room, reining in the food budget, and revitalizing my Flickr account."

The time frame may vary; I tend to work well with one or three-month periods. I did this while on a work sabbatical and it helped give structure and guidance to my time while leaving things pleasantly flexible.

For someone who wants to do everything (ahem) setting a temporary focus area can help harness energy so something actually gets done. It also helps us I-want-to-do-everything-now people practice patience by delaying tasks to the next chosen time frame and letting that be OK.

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Credits, references & inspiration:

• Word for the Year - A close cousin, choosing a word or theme for the year is excellent for guidance, but not quite as effective to get specific things done.

Productivity Prompt: 3 MITs (Most Important Tasks)

This is the fourth 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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At the beginning of each day, ask yourself:

"What three things must I accomplish today?"

Or, using a slightly different tone, which I prefer:

"If I crossed off these three tasks today I'd be a really happy camper."

Then focus on getting those three tasks done and do a happy dance. 

This could also work well on a weekly basis: "If I could get these [insert number here] tasks done this week I'd be extremely happy with myself and ready for a blissful task-free guilt-free weekend of lounging around doing nothing."

Just remember to keep it manageable and realistic to your time frame; it's easy to become overly optimistic!

Credits/references:

• Zen Habits, by Leo Babauta.
• In Making Ideas Happen, Scott Belsky proposes using a "daily focus area": a focus list in which you put the top five or less tasks you want to accomplish that day. The focus area has to be cleared before you go bed at night so it's in your best interest to keep it short.