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Archive for the ‘Goals & Productivity’ Category

Inspiration for 2012

January 2nd, 2012 | 15 Comments »

A new year has arrived and with it a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the past, be mindful of the present, and to manifest what you hope to cultivate over the next twelve months. But, as I shared in my first post of the new year, transitions can be difficult and rarely do they follow a prescribed path. We are each on a different journey and periods of universal transition (like a new year) can act as a trigger with a multitude of effects. Prior to sharing a little inspiring activity for 2012, I want to begin this post with a simple mantra, “everything will be okay.” This phrase is beautiful to whisper to yourself—on both easy and difficult days. It’s also perfectly fitting for however you may be feeling in relation to this new chapter, chapter 2012.

Inspiration for 2012

When thinking about the next twelve months, I find it helpful to switch my mindset to that of my future self. I first got this idea from my friend Jess Constable who writes an annual letter to her future self (highly recommend!).

STEP ONE: I begin by asking my future self (i.e., Carolyn + 12 months from today) for one word that has had significant meaning over the past year. In 2012, my one word is confidence. Ali Edwards recently posted a roundup of “one words” chosen by others that your future self may enjoy perusing :).

STEP TWO: After choosing one word as an anchor for 2012, I brainstorm 12 actions that align with the overall sentiment of this word. I jot down one action per month and put these actions on an index card in the front of my daily journal.

STEP THREE: This year, I’m going to further explore this activity by jotting down one positive action/experience/accomplishment after each month. Then, at the end of 2012, I will have created a personal positivity treasury with a record of positive moments to reflect upon. I really think this simply activity will be tremendously powerful.

Inspiring Downloads for 2012

Inspired by the one-word concept, I created a cheerful printable file for you to download. [download pdf]

I also created a printable document to serve as a visual reminder of this new journaling activity. I plan on keeping mine pinned to my inspiration board for easy reference and updating as the year unfolds. [download pdf]

How do you keep track of positive experiences and accomplishments throughout the year? If you’ve chosen one word for 2012, I would love to know what you’ve selected!

image (everything will be okay): ello lovey

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Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Inspired, Personal, Tips + Techniques, Treasure Chest, When You Feel

My Mighty List

October 13th, 2011 | 13 Comments »

While I’ve read about Maggie Mason’s Mighty Life List numerous times, it has always seemed like a wonderful activity that I would tackle someday (i.e., never today). The Mighty Life List is a list of 100 or so things to do during your life. Recently, while reading Victoria’s (of SFGIRLBYBAY) post about her own list, I found myself scrawling random items onto note paper.  It felt so exhilarating to dream VERY big about absolutely everything. I find myself dreaming bigger than usual and not restricting myself to what seems merely practical. I am at the earliest stages of this list –> capturing wildly big dreams as they come to me and collating them into a single list. There is no editing at this stage. There is also no counting (i.e., just one item at a time). [Just a note: I've made up these very random rules!]

Now that I’ve spent over a week dreaming, I’m going to share my list so far. I plan to keep adding to this list and then at some point refine the list to 100 items so I can begin to focus on actually doing and not just listing/dreaming!

I’ll share Victoria’s description and then my “little” yet very mighty list. I’ve also dropped the “life” from my list’s name because it feels a bit less scary to approach.

i encourage you all to create your own mighty life list — 100 or so things you’d like to accomplish in your lifetime. putting it all down on paper makes all those dreams just a little less daunting, and sharing them with others, one step closer to accomplishing. you never know who might be able to help you cross something off your list, or who you might be able to help cross something off of theirs — that’s a pretty swell feeling, too! have you got a great group of women to round up and create some mighty life lists? do it – think of it as book club, but where you get to write your own happy ending.

carolyn’s mighty list

launch a gorgeous paper pop-up shop | attend new york fashion week with my mom and sister | host a glittery zen retreat/workshop (think yoga, glitter, and champagne) | practice yoga everyday | learn to knit | take a watercolor class (for super non-creative beginners) | commission a custom illustration of my wedding dress to hang in my home | create a blurb wedding coffee book | have a date night with my hubby once a week forever | create a line of jewelry with my sister | attend the national stationery show | host a workshop/event in my dream space in miami |  learn how to use photoshop | donate my book to at least one cancer center/support group in each state (book genies?!) | join a book club | adopt | build a dream home | write a handwritten thank-you note everyday | teach a journaling workshop | learn to bake | have a regular girls’ night with friends | attend a yoga retreat | be a vegetarian for a week | give mindfully for 29 days | appoint an email genie so i can go on email sabbatical | write and publish a second book | create a unique coffee table quote book (beautiful nourishment for the eyes and the soul) | sip champagne along the seine in paris with my hubby | learn how to create my own perfect iced coffee | throw a holiday party | create a signature gift wrap style | host a “just because” soiree | be a correspondent for a national news show | wear anything but jeans for 30 days | design a custom charm for my mom’s charm bracelet | take a trip with my brother and sister | be a mentor | help someone learn how to read | help to de-stigmatize psychology and mental health | get regular massages | learn how to do a cartwheel | take a photo-a-day for one month | go on a picnic in paris | publish a blog-post a day for seven days | organize evernote so it’s a complete digital sanctuary of information and inspiration | write a guest post for 100 different blogs | train for and run a half marathon | change my twitter username | be a calm traveler (create self-care rituals to help with this) | create a tiny line of exquisite candles | tackle 50 things that i think i can’t do.

image: pinterest via tumblr

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Posted in: Authenticity, Creative, Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Personal, Random, When You Feel

The Rhythm of Struggle and Ease

October 11th, 2011 | 6 Comments »

Each week, I make a goal for myself and write it at the top of my weekly planner. As I flip through previous weeks, I notice that one goal appears most frequently: embrace ease. Time and time again, I bemoan the complexity of just about all elements of my life − nothing feels easy. I recently wrote in my journal, “Nothing is sticking. Lots of time, lots of ideas, but nothing glistens with passion.” I yearn for the days when things just clicked and came together effortlessly, with a sense of magic. Of course, I forget all of the work and the not-so-good ideas that came before The One that clicked; rarely does everything magically align without some work behind it.

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” –Pablo Picasso

Picasso’s words never really resonated with me before, but now, I get it. Inspiration is more likely to arrive and take root if you are holding a safe container for it to enter your life. You need to cultivate a life and an environment that thrives with inspiration.

The relationship between struggle and ease is a bit like thrift store or yard sale shopping. You hunt for the treasure among piles of ordinary junk. The process is in no way glamorous or easy (e.g., waking up at 5:00 a.m., searching for yard sales, and sifting through junk in the heat), but for many, the ease and excitement associated with the ultimate find overpower the struggle. People love this practice of treasure hunting and become regular thrifters, because the beauty of the find is magnified after the work is done. Writers, artists, and other creative professionals face a similar process. One must put in the leg work, sift through ordinary words, and allow time to pass in order to reach the treasure. Rarely do you find treasure immediately upon beginning a piece of work. To recognize and fully appreciate the result, you must know and appreciate the struggle as well.

Rather than compartmentalize struggle and ease, I love the idea of these two states coexisting. It’s liberating to relish the ease of success within the struggle and the struggle within the ease. This perspective produces a much greater sense of pride and self-worth. You value much more than just the sparkling treasures. Everything counts: the struggle as well as the ease.

I’ve been fighting against the struggle, focusing on its negative impact and wishing for a quick and easy escape. But I’m realizing that, within struggle, there is ease; moments of bliss emerge for us to embrace. It’s easy to miss them or fail to recollect them when you’re in the midst of a storm. But they are there. Similarly, amidst ease, there is struggle, but we typically don’t remember that—and maybe that’s a good thing for a while. But without recognizing its presence, we may become naive to the path ahead of us.

Within the natural rhythm of struggle and ease, recognizing and appreciating this rhythm empowers you to keep moving forward.

image: pinterest via sacramento street via apartment 34

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Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creativity & Inspiration, Defeated, Goals & Productivity, Inspired, Overwhelmed, When You Feel

Inspired Everyday Living: Transform Your Home and Life (Week 2)

August 11th, 2011 | 4 Comments »

I am excited to share with you the second post in the month-long series on ABRE with the super inspiring sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, of Inspired Everyday Living. Inspired Everyday Living is about using your home as a vehicle for self-transformation—as you change your home, you can transform your life. Each week, during the month of August, Laura and Alison are sharing a new post focused on ways to transform your home and life. This week the focus is on Time Management and Balance.

How to Avoid Over-Committing, Over-Scheduling, and a lot of Stress!

The anxiety of always feeling like there is too much to do and too little time seems to be common among my friends. How often do you hear people say “I’m going to squeeze in a lunch,” or “I’ll try to fit you in,” or “let me work it into my schedule.” When you hear yourself saying that, chances are you’re spreading yourself too thin. By trying to do it all, we often over-commit and when we over-commit we usually end up sacrificing something— like focus, respect, quality time, and peace of mind.

Bottom line, we’re all busy these days and often trying to balance many commitments. But ask yourself what’s more important… participating in lots of activities, or thoroughly enjoying few… accomplishing as many tasks as possible, or completing one task well… having lots of interactions with various people, or having meaningful connections… you get the idea! It has become to clear to me that I need to honor and respect myself, and others, by setting aside the appropriate amount of time for whatever it is I am doing.

When I am honest with myself I realize it really isn’t worth it to do something half-way. I’ve had lunches with friends or peers that are completely unsatisfying because we’re not really present—we’re so rushed that we are talking a mile-a-minute, barely taking each other in, and thinking about all the other things we need to do and places we need to be! When that happens, I usually leave feeling very unsatisfied and wondering if it was really worth my limited time. What was the point? To say I did it? To check that person off my list? Am I hurrying to get somewhere else? What makes me think somewhere else is better? What else is there beside the moment?

Although we may not get to do everything we want, when we slow down, manage our time, and choose what’s important we are at least living each moment to its fullest.  We are choosing to be present throughout our encounters.  We are choosing quality of experiences over quantity, respect for people over disrespect, self-nurturing over spreading ourselves too thin, being focused over scattered, and peace over stress.

Usually we over-schedule for one (or more) of three reasons:

1.     We truly do not realize how long certain tasks/events/meetings/errands take.

2.     We know how long things take, but we have a hard time saying no or we want to do it all.

3.      We forget to account for “transition time.”

Here are three steps to help you manage your time and avoid over-scheduling.

(more…)

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Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, When You Feel

Inspired Everyday Living: Transform Your Home and Life (Week 1)

August 4th, 2011 | 7 Comments »

I am honored to share with you a new month-long series on ABRE with the super inspiring sisters, Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes, of Inspired Everyday Living. Inspired Everyday Living is about using your home as a vehicle for self-transformation—as you change your home, you can transform your life. Each week, during the month of August, Laura and Alison will be sharing a new post focused on ways to transform your home and life. This week the focus is on Clearing Your Inner Clutter.

Clearing Your Inner Clutter

Life gets busy, and we often find ourselves thinking about ten things at once, our minds racing trying to juggle everything on our plates. And we know we’re not alone. Many of our friends describe similar feelings of overwhelm and “mental overload,” but it is contrary to feeling peaceful and being fully present in the moment—two things we write about—a lot! So when we find our minds racing, we take time to clear our inner clutter.

Inner clutter is our personal to-do list, unfinished business, unresolved issues or relationships, and/or any thoughts or feelings that repeatedly come up that weigh on our minds. This includes thoughts about our life purpose to thoughts about mundane tasks like going to the grocery store and everything in between. In the same way physical clutter can prevent us from experiencing a peaceful home, our inner clutter can prevent us from experiencing peace of mind.

Think about how heavily seemingly small tasks can weigh on our minds. Have you ever put off going to the hardware or grocery store to pick something up? How many times did you think about doing that chore? Every day until you finally made the trip? And that is just one small errand—imagine how bigger, more pressing priorities can weigh on us.

When our minds are filled with unfinished thoughts, responsibilities, and tasks our focus is scattered and we’re less able to experience and enjoy the present moment. All of those nagging thoughts and concerns claim our attention and we have less energy to devote to truly important projects. We are also taking up mental space, thereby preventing new and creative thoughts from coming forth. If you find you’re frequently distracted because your mind is scanning an endless to-do list, or replaying scenes from the past, or obsessing about imagined future events, then it’s time to clear out your inner (or mental) clutter.

  • Set aside some quiet time when you know you will have an uninterrupted half-an-hour. Have a calendar and a notebook at hand. Then take a blank piece of paper and write down absolutely everything on your mind—from defrosting your freezer to repairing the roof, to asking your boss for a raise—no task is too small or too big so don’t stop to judge or organize what you’re putting on your list, just keep writing. The simple act of writing down all the things on your mind will help clear your mental clutter.
  • The next step is to organize your list. You may wish to first identify anything that needs to be done by a certain date or time and put those items on your calendar as well as on your list.
  • Next pull out anything that can be done quickly, like picking up your dry cleaning or replacing a light bulb, then set a goal to complete one or two of those tasks everyday.
  • Each time you complete a task cross it off—crossing things off on your list is a great feeling, so take a second to enjoy the feeling of satisfaction.
  • For larger, more substantial tasks that may take time to complete, write down the first step that would need to completed next in order to achieve your goal. For example, if you want to write a book someday, but haven’t started yet, the first step may be researching your subject, or learning how to write a book proposal, or setting up a desk in your home where you can write. Once you’ve crossed that task off your list, write down the next step and so forth. Breaking down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks will help you feel more focused and less overwhelmed.

As you organize your list you may realize that some tasks aren’t as pressing or important as you first thought. You may even decide that some items can be crossed off the list immediately because you’ll simply decide they’re not necessary to complete. It’s amazing how we can carry an idea around in our heads for weeks or even months, just because we never took a moment to really think about it and decide how important it is to us. These days we are bombarded with a constant flow of information from televisions, radios, the Internet, newspapers, and cell phones, so frequently we hear or see something that sticks in our minds, but that we never process. Sometimes just taking a moment to think about what you’ve just heard or seen, is all you need to do to get it off your mind.

Inner clutter often accumulates as a result of a lack of awareness and/or failure to make a choice. When you bring all the thoughts and ideas in your mind to your attention and make a choice they will no longer weigh on you. Your to-do list will transform from energy-draining, unfinished business into inspiring guidelines and next-steps for living the life you want to live.

Commit to the process of creating and maintaining a list at least once a week. If you ever have a moment during the week when you experience “mental overload,” then take ten minutes to write down everything on your mind. You can then review and process that list later during the weekly time you have set aside and can get back to the moment at hand. By clearing your mental clutter, you will be able to identify what is really important to you and then give those things and people your undivided attention. You are then truly free to experience and enjoy living in the moment!

Sisters Laura and Alison are authors of The Peaceful Nursery: Preparing a Home for Your Baby, bloggers, consultants, and co-founders of a home and lifestyle company called Inspired Everyday Living. They believe that by making simple changes in your home, you can transform your life. For more information about their work visit www.inspiredeverydayliving.com where you can read their blog, view press clippings, learn more about their book, eGuides, and apps, or watch video clips.

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Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity, Guest Bloggers, Inspired, When You Feel

The Finish Line

March 31st, 2011 | 4 Comments »

I read these words about 100 times per day. What words are you holding onto today?

image: artsyville

more inspiring words: “quoted” on pinterest

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Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Defeated, Goals & Productivity, Overwhelmed, When You Feel

17 Ways to Keep it Simple

January 13th, 2011 | 9 Comments »

Simplicity requires intention. You must own what you do.

1. Be Decisive. Is it yes or no? Remove maybe.

2. Less is more. Replace “Could I do more?” with “Would I like to do more?”.

3. Think inside the box. Construct boundaries. Set time limits — when the timer dings, stop and move on.

4. Brainstorm 60 different ways to do X. Mix and match. Divide and blend. Then, choose one way. Ditch the rest.

5. Unitask.

6. Aim for imperfection.

7. Choose to start. Avoidance feeds complexity.

8. Edit everything — remove the unnecessary words, tasks, projects, numbers, cash, links, and stuff. Cleanse and breathe a sigh of relief.

9. Value quality over quantity.

10. Set a goal. Divide the goal in half. Aim for early success to fuel momentum. Slow and steady wins the race.

11. Replace memo pads and word documents with index cards.

12. When in doubt, label it.

13. Be specific. Use dates — always.

14. Filter your ideas. Incubate and decide to act or to trash.

15. Commit to relevancy.

16. Recycle. Don’t fix what’s not broken. Reuse what’s worked before.

17. Trust your intuition. Resist second guessing.

. . . . .

Be kind and share the simplicity with others :). How do you keep it simple?

Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Goals & Productivity

You Are Here Now

January 10th, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve relished some beautiful moments over the past couple of weeks — even amidst the craziness (crazy good oftentimes, but crazy nonetheless) of the holiday season.

A quick update before I get into this post’s topic — what I’ve been up to since my last post: my little sister got engaged (!), went on my honeymoon for 8 days (!!), relaxed at home with my family for a few days, had my wisdom teeth removed, was a good patient and spent most of last week resting up after the surgery, celebrated my sister’s engagement, came back to boston last night, writing this blog post right now :)

As you will notice from that little list, I did not do ANY work — none at all. While I feel wonderfully refreshed, I also feel so horribly guilty. This sense of guilt led to lots of procrastination today and a sense of overwhelming anxiety about where to begin. This feeling led me to think about how to shift from a mindset of guilt to a mindset of progress — so let’s get started (see, we’re making progress already!).

Am I focusing on the past or the future?

The New Year came along and all I could think about was what I am not doing right (compared to the past) and how will that impact me (future)? All this thinking merely led to guilt and an overwhelming sense of dread. Everything became huge; and no matter where I began I would be behind – so why start? But this guilt just becomes bigger if no action is taken. So, rather than wait for January 1, 2012 to roll around and start anew, I’ve decided to make today January 1st rather than January 10th (just erase the little zero and everything is all better). It’s daunting to think about how you can make this year a great year and especially to begin taking action on a clean year – if you tend to be a perfectionist and want to get things right (like me), then this task begins harder.

Where am I right now – in this moment? What do I choose to focus on – in this moment?

I am here. I am present. I am ready to begin.

This question allows me to think about the present and how I can create with intention from this moment forward, rather than try to catch up on all the missed chances behind me, or worry about the ones I might miss that are ahead of me. I’m in this moment and I choose to focus completely on writing a new post. I give myself permission to work on this activity and have fun! This shift changed my momentum from a mindset of guilt to a mindset of progress.

I haven’t done XYZ -> I am doing ___.

This shift is powerful and can make the difference between a day spent dreading your to-do list to a day spent crossing items off of that scary big to-do list and making it a DONE list!

Where are you right now? What are you doing?

Does the New Year ever fill you with a sense of guilt or overwhelm you?

image: farouche

Posted in: Goals & Productivity

The Art of Non-Conformity: Review & Giveaway!

November 8th, 2010 | 27 Comments »

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with their song still in them. –Henry David Thoreau

Life is a journey that can never be defined by odds. We—not others—choose how we live our lives. If we decide to believe in ourselves, then nothing can diminish our potential.

Chris Guillebeau’s new book, The Art of Non-Conformity, ingeniously presents a different way to live your life, a life that you wholeheartedly desire based upon your own rules. While I tend to shy away from books with such lofty goals (i.e., read me and change your entire life!), I knew this book would be different due to Chris’ real-life experience, truly walking the talk and sharing his journey (the ups and downs, with life lessons always learned) with full transparency on his blog.

Before I continue, I must reveal that I hesitated writing about The Art of Non-Conformity. With so many people singing its praises within the blogosphere, I didn’t want to seem disingenuous. But I never write about other books so a desire to write about this one in particular has to mean something, right?!

AONC in 140 characters:

Empowering readers to let go of labels and expectations, to embrace the unknown, and to begin to transform “someday” into “today.”

AONC in more than 140 characters:

The Communicatrix says it best:

From the beginning, where he establishes the likely mindset that indicates readiness to explore an unconventional life/style through the end, where he wraps up with a sensible warning that everything he’s gotten you fired up about is always fiery at a cost (and, like its rewards, an unending one), Chris slowly conditions your brain for the thrilling, difficult work ahead. The book is generous, it’s unrelenting, it’s highly specific in its instructions and it’s thoroughly, impeccably earnest.

If I’m making AONC sound just a bit overwhelming, that’s because it’s very possible that it is—at least, to someone who’s not in the place to hear or use it. That’s fine. As Chris himself says at the outset, this book assumes four critical prerequisites (numerals mine):

  1. You Must Be Open to New Ideas
  2. You Must Be Dissatisfied with the Status Quo
  3. You Must Be Willing to Take Personal Responsibility
  4. You Must Be Willing to Work Hard

One of my favorite sections is entitled: Smashing Through the Brick Wall of Fear. In this section, Chris outlines seven highly personal things that he was afraid of at the time of writing. I plan on sharing my personal fear list in an upcoming post.

The Silver Lining (the little details that did not go unnoticed):

- Quote Selection and Placement: Chris could compile the quotes selected for this book and sell them as a completely separate book. They are brilliant and placed not only in the beginning of each section, but in the sidebars with the themes aligned with the content. As a writer, this is TEDIOUS to do and quality is almost always sacrificed. Not here.

- Personalization of all the common book standards (ex. “extraordinary praise” rather than “praise” or “advanced praise”; “gratitude” rather than “acknowledgments”), using Chris’ language to replace the normal stock copy that is placed in books that as a reader you never notice, until of course, it changes.

- Summaries at the end of each section entitled, “Remember This” that are truly remarkable.

- An online emporium of resources and additional content that allow the book to evolve beyond its pages.

The Take-Home Message:

If you’re ready for a new perspective that will steer you towards creating inner harmony, The Art of Non-Conformity will help you prepare to play a bigger game, translate knowledge into action and action into change, and of course set you up for world-domination!

Need to Start Reading NOW?!

Well of course you do! Leave a comment below for a chance to receive one of two copies that will be given away on A Beautiful Ripple Effect!

–> Comments open for the giveaway until Sunday November 14th at 5:00 PM EST. The recipients will be announced on A Beautiful Ripple Effect on Monday November 15th!

* I received this book from Chris prior to release. However, I only decided to review it after spending an entire day devouring each section (canceling all appointments and emailing Chris to let him know that he owed me an apology** for “ruining” my schedule!).

** For the record, Chris apologized.

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Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques, Treasure Chest

Get More Done #2: How to Set Powerful Goals and Take Meaningful Action

August 10th, 2010 | 6 Comments »

If you haven’t read part one in this series, Get More Done #1: How to Confront and Weaken Analysis Paralysis, you might want to head there first.

Why are you doing what you are doing? Without a goal to connect to your actions, it is difficult to maintain momentum and motivation. When the actions of a task are tedious and not intrinsically exciting, it can feel as if there is no larger purpose to them. But there is always a goal, and without acknowledging it, you are walking down a dark and windy path with no map in hand.

Reconnect with Your Overarching Goal

Get Excited. Reframe your work in a way that excites you. What will spark your energy? Use your imagination to create a compelling reason to attract you to your work. Try thinking about how you could persuade someone else to do what you do, and be as genuine as possible. Find the silver lining and magnify it. In his groundbreaking book, The Now Habit, Neil Fiore writes, “The type of work and commitment that is more compatible with the Now Habit is a commitment to a mission that focuses your energies and brings about inner harmony, a commitment that comes from a pull toward a goal and an excitement about the process of getting there.”

Create a Goal Statement. There are many ways to create a goal statement that you can use to remind yourself of your greater purpose. For the purpose of overcoming analysis paralysis, I try to create a statement that is specific to the task at hand and has a deadline within four weeks. Let’s start with an example that I recently utilized (Thank you to Aby Garvey for teaching me this wonderful goal-setting technique!).

“Today is September 1, 2010. I am confident and calm now that my research proposal is complete.”

  • Include a specific date in your goal statement. Mark this date in your calendar.
  • What will you complete by your set date? Don’t set yourself up to fail. Keep your expectations realistic.
  • How will you feel when you complete this goal?
  • Create your goal statement using the steps outlined above and display it where you can see it throughout the day in order to maintain focus on why you are doing what you are doing! It can be helpful to create sub-goal statements as well if your project is especially long and arduous. To create a sub-goal statement, you follow the same formula as outlined above, but use specific milestones toward the main goal. For example, “Today is August 12, 2010. I am confident and calm now that my research proposal’s appendix materials are complete.”

Restart Your Engine with Intention and Ease

Now that you have faced your analysis paralysis head on, you have tremendously weakened its resolve. Spend a few minutes refocusing on the task at hand. Do you have everything you need to complete your work? Collate all of your materials near your command center. Then, determine what actions you want to take today. Rather than focus on completion, concentrate on starting to maintain momentum.

Create a Mind-Map. If you are still feeling resistance, utilize a mind-map to break down the actions into micro-actions (each action should take less than 5 minutes). In the middle of the mind-map, you want to write your main goal to keep it front and center. For reference, you can see my simple example below.

Focus on Action. You are ready to take action! Often, preparing to take action can become quite draining so you need to rev yourself up again to actually make progress. To help give you that much-needed push, try the following focusing exercise from The Now Habit. The exercise below is a shorter version than the one outlined within the book (the full exercise begins on page 150 of the paperback copy of the book).

“Focusing is a two-minute procedure for shifting rapidly to the flow state by replacing guilt and stress with stress-free focus on the present.”

With each breath I am tapping into my creative self, opening more and more of my brain power to approach my task. My conscious mind may not know yet what to do, just as it doesn’t know how a puzzle will look until it’s finished. I may not know how I’m going to do this, but soon something will come to me, and then a little bit more will come. I will find the process very interesting, because while I don’t know yet what the solution will be, I do know that I will do it, and that part of me already knows how to do it. It will also be interesting to see how time feels different at this level of the mind and to discover about how much I will accomplish in such a short period of clock time.

Counting up from 1 to 3, I am becoming more quietly alert, and I am now ready to work in a focused, concentrated way, rapidly going from not knowing to knowing how to start: 1. I am more alert, relaxed, and energized, ready to use the superior wisdom of my subconscious mind. 2. I am ready to come all the way up to full alertness with my eyes open, eager to work in conjunction with the creative faculties of my mind. 3.

By taking action, you will begin to create momentum by weakening the resistance you feel between you and the finish line. Moving forward, you will likely confront analysis paralysis again, but each time you do, you can approach it with strength rather than letting it seize your control.

Chime in! What are your thoughts on getting more done or analysis paralysis? Or just say hello, it’s always nice to know that others can relate :).

… For some great discussion on the topic of inspiration, head on over to Spring for a brand new video!

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Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

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Carolyn Rubenstein

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