Time to Make a Change

Okay, let’s bring it all together and Marie Kondo this shit!

I also want to state right now that you don’t have to go through all this in real time and come out the other side with exactly these changes in this format firmly in place.

I suspect just thinking about and visualizing these concepts in this way has already seeped into your brain and helped inform some small changes and decisions. And if that’s “all” this does for you, that’s fantastic! Sometimes we just need to write things down to get a hold of all our nebulous feelings and hopes and frustrations.

Before we get to the task, I want to share a story that really motivated me to create this series and put some structure to it. I was talking with Max Spinelli, who I consider not only talented, but very fun, creative and successful on social media. From the outside, it looked like he really had it dialed in and was having a blast!

But, as I should know by now, don’t believe everything you see on Instagram.

Max said he was feeling burnt out and stressed from having to keep up with the demands of our lord and savior, the Algorithm. So he dialed it back and put that time into working on a script with a friend. He wasn’t sure what the outcome of the script would be - a sweetener of what he could bring to the table for a Manager, a Nice to Have at a General meeting with Development people, the basis of something they could go on to produce themselves, or just a good exercise honing a skill he enjoys and wants to excel at. It could be any and all of those things, and more importantly, it was both a valuable use of his time in furthering his career (even without immediate tangible results) and he enjoyed it!

It reinvigorated him and was contributing to his mental health.

I loved that conversation, so I hope I’ve been able to pass it on and help some of you find your healthier, energizing ways to keep moving forward!

Your Task, Madame (or Monsieur)

Okay, so this step is easily said and potentially quite difficult to actually do.

Start working on one of those projects you did a deep dive on last week and cull some dead weight from your current To Do List.

That’s it (hahaha). This is the point where I leave you to your own devices. Only you know your obligations, your hard limits and what will bring you joy.

But One More Thing…

But I will give you one more practical activity at this point:

Find your motivation and build it into your plan.

What motivates you or stops you from procrastinating?

A few common possibilities to consider:

External deadlines
Not wanting to let someone down
Money
Praise from others
Self satisfaction/pride in your accomplishment
Someone holding you accountable

Some people can plan out a month of priorities and To Do’s… and actually do them with no other nudges! If that’s you, fantastic, you should quit comedy and start running Google or something.

For the rest of us, outside accountability in some form or other is usually necessary, but you have to pick the right form. If you and your bestie will just keep letting each other slide, that’s not the right plan to go with.

You might need someone a little outside your comfort zone that’ll make you feel scared to report “No progress” back to.

For others, having someone warm and supportive is imperative. Scary deadlines and the possibility of disappointment just engenders further procrastination or even freezes them up.

Some people do really well with gamification apps, including the ones where you have to put down money and don’t get it back unless you stick with your plan.

Or maybe you need tangible rewards, like a nice meal out or that new pair of shoes… but only after you complete a task or set of tasks.

I have a multi-pronged strategy (that is by no means 100% effective). Part of it involves a physical board that I put dorky cute stickers on when I accomplish a certain step by its deadline.

That sounds ludicrous, but it’s a little dopamine hit and reminds me to be kind and praise myself just like I would a friend or colleague.

I also have a small accountability group that meets monthly(ish) and Asana (a To Do app with all kinds of extra bells and whistles). And I just love the sensation of physically crossing something off a list, so I transfer my daily list over from Asana and add any tasks that fall outside that (e.g., laundry).

Some or none of these may be helpful for you. I know I have more of a robot administrator brain than many of you, so these might be the opposite end of the universe from what will help keep you motivated.

But there’s a hundred ways to motivate, trick and reward yourself out there.

Yeah yeah, doing a good job is its own reward and everything, but we all need some carrots and sticks along the way.

What do you think?

Has this been helpful? Terrifying and you’re just waiting for it to be over? Tried it but it’s just not the process for you?

Did you start a new project because of this? How’s it going?

Did you scrape off some dead weight? How does that feel?

Do you have tricks and strategies to keep yourself on task?

I’d love to hear all of it - positive and negative! You can reply to this email or DM me. And if you’re additionally interested in sharing some of your tips and experience with others who read this newsletter, let me know!

Would you be interested in an in-person Spring Cleaning workshop (very small group)?

Yes! Can we do it yesterday?

Probably, but I’m not ready yet

Nah, I prefer doing this in private