This is the first in a two-part series about getting more done, what is stopping you from maintaining momentum – and what you can do to start getting more done, now! Stay tuned for the second part on Tuesday (you might want to grab the A Beautiful Ripple Effect RSS feed, or subscribe to be notified via email).
As I write this blog post, I am facing analysis paralysis, one fierce letter at a time. My mind feels like it is miles away, twisting and turning amid my graduate school research. Big projects, looming deadlines, and sometimes even mundane daily events can easily cause one to become detached, an observer of an experience rather than an engaged and mindful participant. Once you feel detachment, you feel less in control of your own life, starting an upsetting cycle that can lead you to over-analyze what you’re doing in an effort to become more immersed in the moment; however, as a result, you dig yourself into a deeper hole, leading to a feeling of being stuck, out of alignment due to analysis paralysis.
Power blogger Chris Garrett defines this yucky stage aptly. He writes, “Analysis Paralysis is where you can’t make any forward progress because you bog yourself down in details, tweaking, brainstorming, researching….”
So what do we do to break the cycle and confront the pesky instigator?
Modify Your Perspective
Often you can get so knee deep in the details of a scene that you can no longer see the landscape. But your mind doesn’t want to see the landscape, right? You need to focus on the details to get this done already! However, if you don’t take the time to remove yourself from the micro-level, you may be creating more work for yourself, or worse; you could cause yourself to meet some major hurdles down the road. Try adopting a different perspective to gain greater awareness of other aspects of your situation.
Find the middle ground between worst case and best case. Rather than think in extremes, think in shades of gray. Ask yourself: What is the worst case scenario? What is the best case scenario? Then, move towards the middle, a much more realistic scenario to plan for.
Alter your expectations. If you expect the journey to be steady without bumps or turns, you are setting yourself up for disappointment along the way. At the outset, prepare for roadblocks to appear as you take your plan into reality.
Engage Your Right-Brain
In order to overpower analysis, the brainchild of your left-brain, it is critical to awaken your right-brain’s creative muscles. Personally, this step is the most difficult for me to put into practice while under the power of my left-brain; however, this action is akin to magic dust, the secret potion that greatly weakens the reigns of analysis paralysis.
Trick your left-brain. Let your left-brain think it’s still in power by slowly warming up your right-brain. You can do this by introducing one “creative” element into your work at a time. If you’re working in an Excel File, try shading the columns into a fun array of colors. If you’re typing, use a fun font and/or play with the font colors. If you’re working away from the computer, you have the most wiggle room. I love using a whiteboard to brainstorm with big multicolored markers and make drawings. Or you can use colored pencils, crayons, and big pieces of paper – let your imagination run wild while still embracing your left-brain’s need to keep working.
Unleash your creativity. Take a break for a minimum of 10 minutes (use a timer if you must). Move away from your computer or simply turn off the monitor and focus fully on a single creative activity. You may want to draw on a piece of paper, write a fun letter, or snap a photo. The possibilities are endless.
Great Creative Fuel
- The Creative Advantage Book: Unleash Your Creativity and Change the World! by Guillaume Wolf
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp
Move Your Body
It is easy to get stuck in your head and continue the cycle of over-analyzing even the simplest of tasks. I’ve found that the quickest way to gain momentum and take meaningful action is to move my body. As simple as it sounds, it works! And it can take as little as 10 seconds.
Move away from your chair. Stand up and try jogging in place for 5 to 10 seconds. Notice how your body feels. Where are your arms? Are they tense by your side or swaying freely? Is your upper body slouched over or upright? How does your neck feel? Now, try moving again for another 5 to 10 seconds, but this time, explore your space. If you’re in a public office, try walking swiftly to another area of the office. When you let your body move to another location (rather than staying in place), you will notice changes in your body and mind. Do you feel a little more relaxed? Is the hamster wheel in your mind slowing down a bit? Take note of any changes you feel and experiment with this activity over time. Then find what works best for you as a quick way to engage your mind-body connection during your hectic work schedule and utilize this activity as often as you can throughout the day.
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On Tuesday, I’ll be exploring how you can begin reconnecting your actions to an overarching goal, and how you can focus on getting more meaningful work done each day.
In the meantime, if anything in this article has struck a chord with you, I’d love to answer questions, offer support or simply hear your experiences. Just leave a comment, drop me an email, or use the contact form.
image: katie kirk
