If you’re like me, you can walk into a room, and suddenly have no idea why you walked in there. Or you can be watching something or writing something, and hit a dull patch, and before you know it, you’re playing solitaire.
That’s me in a nutshell. >Squirrel!< I have >Squirrel< moments when I forget what I was doing, feel conflicted about how I’m using my time, or just plain “don’t wanna…”
I went to a one-day workshop led by Craig Kosinski, author of Recraft Your Creativity at the CPSi Conference (pronounced ‘Sipsy,’ and stands for Creative Problem Solving Institute) Craig was teaching us about inventing. BTW, I’ll be blogging about Craig’s brilliant and succinct list of inventions that changed the world, all the way back to the Stone Age. Don’t miss it.
One thing I came away with was a mini-stage for my desk. Craig had made one for each of us, and handed them out during the workshop. It is literally a 7″ length of two-by-four, painted white. Glued to its backside is a 7″ square of foam core. Craig called it a CAMP space, where CAMP stands for Craft, Art, Making and Play. He explained it is a way to keep a problem or developing idea top-of-mind, as you invented it.
We tend to think of physical “things” when we say “inventing.” But we are each inventing worlds, characters, conflicts and plots as we write, so I thought I’d use it for that purpose. A small space on which to collect and see my ideas for things characters should do or say. Jokes I wanted to make, chapter titles that came to me… things like that.
Little by little, however, I reinvented what to use it for in my life. I used it to stage my day, my week, and my goals over time. Nifty, right? This little system is really working for me!
For my goals, I brainstormed what my goals are for this month. Some examples are: Blog 4-6x, create an editorial calendar for my Social Media, plan my 4th Q promos/offerings, write my Hallmark movie, etc. I put each of those goals on a 1/2 a white note card, followed by the mini-steps I’d need to reach each goal.
You might be itemizing your writing goals. Mine, right now would be:
- Write the Hallmark movie
- Start writing non-fiction book: Write Without the Fight
- Revisit my “novel in the drawer” to edit/rewrite and shop it with agents
- Get back to writing my funny novel
- Get print versions of Why Am I Stuck?, and Sex, Lies & Creativity from KDP
- Get e-book versions of my books, Motherhood to Otherhood, and RV There Yet? up on Amazon
- Begin writing How Women Create on Medium.
Wow. I didn’t realize I had so many goals directly related to my writing. Each of those goals would have many mini-steps, that cut the task down to size. Seeing them listed out makes it easier to undertake the goal, don’t you agree? So I state the goal and the mini-steps on the notecard. On the flip side of the card, I write in big colorful letters:
“I am … (whatever it is.)”
“I am writing my Hallmark movie.”When I look at my stage, RIGHT NOW, it says, “I am writing blogs.”
Believe it or not this is an enormous help to me. I stick with the project, till I’ve finished. I feel calm, not conflicted when I look up and see something else that needs doing – like sending an email, or paying bills – or just something I distract myself with – like playing solitaire or cruising FB. I look over when I’m writing this post, and I see my stage says:
I am writing blogs.
And there is alignment between my expectation, my activity and my little wandering brain. I am calm, recommitted and content that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Remember we have bratty, baby brains. It is useful and calming to be reinforced in even the smallest of choices and efforts. (See how I’m getting this blog done? I am doing it because of the “staged” intention.)
Meanwhile, my other goals are each sitting on a half notecard under the stage. They sit there with their itemized steps until I choose to do one of them. I sift through my goal cards, choose one, and then stage it.
I am writing my free book: Write Without the Fight. (yaaassss!)
I decide I’m going to do that. Read some steps that need doing. Put the card on my stage. Get on with it. I feel good. I get things done. It’s that simple.
This staging of your day removes conflict and doubt from your baby brain as your adult brain gets the task done. It can be staged on anything visible all day long – or you could make yourself one of these desk stages. The most important aspects of this system are:
- Identify your goals, write each goal on a piece of paper or card or post-it note.
- Write mini-steps necessary to reach the goal under the goal heading
- Turn the card over and write: “I am… ” whatever words mean “doing the goal. “
- Use big print, colors, even doodles to make the “I am” statement rewarding and reinforcing.
- Place the “I am” statement where you can see it.
- Keep other goal cards nearby, but out of sight as you work on your goals, one at a time.
I hope this littlest of inventions might have a big impact on your day and your productivity.