One day I was sitting at my desk and I got an idea for this thing I’d been thinking about. It was HUGE and I got really excited. I just had to write it down somewhere.

Even though I’m pretty savvy with computers, I needed to get this idea on paper. BIG paper. I wanted to scribble and draw and use my whole body in the creative idea-generating process. I was so jazzed.

Then I looked around my office and crud! - there was nothing to write on!

Lemons into lemonade

So, I got out an old roll of wrapping paper and taped it to the wall, white-side out.  Tentative at first, I scratched out the basic idea and then excitedly filled in the gaps with broad, colorful strokes. It was great! It was huge!

This was the first step I took in getting my business, Inspired Home Office, off the ground. That wrapping paper stayed up for the first 6 months of my business’ life, serving as a guide. A visual reminder. A map.

When I stopped needing it, I took it down, rolled it back up and used it for holiday presents (talk about recycling!).

If you can see it, you can do it.

Have you ever had the urge to plan a big project, but got stuck?

Anytime you’re planning something big and involved, you need three things:

• A clear, invigorating idea of where you want to go
• Specific steps to get you there
• A way of reminding yourself what’s next and tracking what you’ve completed

Personalizing what you need

With these 3 things as your guide, you can plan and execute a project any way you like. How would you like to track your big projects?

Here are 3 tracking variations I’ve seen – and the basic elements that each one entails. Which one sounds most like you?

Neat and tidy

• Big picture plans turned into into specific, measurable goals
• Breaking goals down into steps
• Put all of the steps in your system with timelines
• Follow up at the end and evaluate

Big and messy

• Huge wall charts on butcher paper with markers
• Dry erase boards, cork boards, and lots of stickies
• Ideas represented by colors, symbols, and shapes
• Oversize calendars with important dates circled

A combination of both

• A map or mindmap that’s broken down into smaller steps
• Aspects of the neat and the messy, tidy and big mixed together
• Systems that blend your creative mind and your planning mind

Reflect and listen

Do any of these 3 descriptions sound like you – or how you’d like to be? Have you attempted some of these, but feel disappointed with either the lack of clarity or results?

If your projects feel haphazard at best or remain incomplete for long periods of time, ask yourself:

What do I need that would help me love staying on track?

Listen deeply and you’ll be surprised by the ideas that come to you.

Care to comment?

Everybody knows that a daffodil won’t bloom outdoors in December. The cold and snow herald a time for the bulb to retreat into the dark earth and restore its vigor and strength.

Although sometimes we lose sight of this truth, you are also part of nature.

Are you fighting nature?

Many business models encourage perpetual productivity. But because our creativity is part of the natural cycle, there must be a time for replenishment, too.

Wintertime is as vital to the life of a plant as the glorious blooms of springtime and the fruits of summer and fall. So it is also with you. And your business.

Creativity takes time

Now, I’m not advocating that you close up shop tomorrow to return sometime in March.

But have you ever walked away from a project that’s been challenging you – to walk the dog, or take a shower, or pick up some eggs from the store and – BAM! The answer you were seeking appears, seemingly from nowhere?

That’s because you gave yourself some winter-time, some space for your brain to rest… and meanwhile the ideas are gestating inside, waiting to bloom.

How to make it hard on yourself

If you stay at your desk, glued to the monitor, trying to get… it… right… Nothing comes.

By forcing yourself to produce when it’s not yet time, you do damage to yourself. You stilt true progress and growth.

Perpetual productivity is painful

So why do you do this? Well, sometimes you need to “get the job done.” But oftentimes, the underlying factor is that the spring blossom and the summer fruit feel good.

You get a high from results. Another checkmark – but at what cost?

The Inspired Home Office 80/20 Rule

80% of creating and productivity is internal and 20% is external, visible work.

This doesn’t mean you need to sit at your desk, twiddling your thumbs for weeks on end. It just means that when you feel the urge to stop (writing, working on a project, whatever), you can trust that it really is time to stop.

And once you’ve stopped, you can choose to do something will nourish your heart and your mind. This will allow the next step will unfold naturally and organically.

Just like daffodils do.

How to work naturally

1. Notice when you force

Do you set up your schedule in a way that forces you to produce, without leaving time for contemplation or rest?

Do you commit to deadlines that seem reasonable, but really aren’t?

Do you notice feeling resentful for intrusions or extra demands on your time?

What choices do you make that contribute to these dymanics?

2. Listen to your inner knowing

While you’re working, listen for a tiny voice inside you that whispers, “I need a break now.” or “Stop.” This is your inner knowing.

It won’t roar, so be alert.

3. Do what the voice says

No, this isn’t a reference to that “I do what the voices in my head tell me to do” bumper sticker.

When you hear that tiny voice, take heed. Really.

You may come to find that the breaks you give yourself take less time than needlessly banging your head against the wall in frustration.

No matter what you do, a daffodil will take as long as it does to go from bulb to blossom. And so it is with you, too.

Care to comment?

Finding compassion for the things you’ve left undone.

There it is again… that thing you’ve been avoiding. You know… that thing right over there. Just looking at it fills you with anxiety.

Truth is, it’s just a task you need to accomplish. An email to return, a bill to pay, a receipt to file. But there it is, undone.

And if you’re like a lot of people, noticing its un-done-ness causes you to do a number on yourself.

“What’s wrong with you?!” you say inside your head. “You still haven’t gotten to that yet!?”

Perhaps you resort to name calling: “Grrr! You idiot!” (or worse).

Or maybe your inner dialog throws out a doozy like: “You’re never going to succeed if you don’t get this stuff done.”

No matter what you say or how you say it, this kind of self-talk has horrible consequences on you and your business. You end up feeling guilt, frustration, dread, panic, depression, self-doubt, and self-loathing.

Believe me, I’ve been there.

And, ironically, it’s all in the name of a task that needs to be done. Sheesh.    

The gift of negative self-talk

The good news is that this habit has a positive intention: it wants you to take action. (And this is probably the result you want too, right?)

My mentor and friend, Mark Silver, says that the only way to get the toothpaste out of the tube is to squeeze.

And chastising is just one way to pressure yourself into taking action. While it’s usually effective, the long-term consequences might make you desire some gentler alternatives.

Imagine for a moment a healthy squeeze: a way to create motivation that involves talking to yourself in a supportive way.    

Things to try

Here’s are three steps that can get the job done - while sparing you the stresses of negative self-talk:  

1. Notice

When the time comes that you notice a task undone, simply observe it as a neutral fact. “Oh, looky here – it’s past the time to invoice my clients!”

If you notice negative thoughts coming up as you do this, gently tell your brain that you appreciate its concern and that you’ve got it covered. This shuts down the reptilian fight-or-flight response and allows you to get centered.

Remember, it’s just a task that needs to be completed. Its completeness isn’t ”good”, “bad”, or otherwise. Just neutral.

2. Identify your need

Ask yourself: what do I need in order to complete this task?   Do you need some quiet, uninterrupted time? Maybe you need a day to think on it. Or a chance to consult your calendar. Perhaps you need some assistance or connection with a person you trust.

If you listen intently, you will get an answer from within that give you clarity about the need you have.   Fulfilling this need will help and support you in completing the task.

3. Write it down

A couple of my clients are devoted Franklin Covey fans – this planner system not only organizes your calendar but also allows you to write a daily task list. (I’m a big fan of the task list and its friend, the checkmark.)   No matter what system of organizing you use, when you get clear about the need you have, write it down.

To clarify: Write the need down in a place that you will find it so that it can be completed.

The benefit of writing it down, especially in your calendar, is that you give yourself a reminder, a gentle nudge, to fulfill the need and complete the step.

Doing this will actually create the encouragement and support you need - and break the cycle of self-criticism.   

Bonus gifts

By eliminating negativity, you create a more supportive workspace and make yourself more emotionally available to your clients.

Imagine how your business and your creativity can flourish in this environment!

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Ahhh… the shower. It’s one of the best places in the house, in my opinion. I love it so much that, as a teen, my parents accused me of single-handedly lowering the water table.

When you’re in the shower there are several factors that make it prime idea-generating territory:

For one, it’s quiet.

The hiss of water drones out all kinds of distractions. And the fact that steamy water is cascading over you is soooo relaxing. You can’t hear and you feel good. Nice.

Plus, your brain is switched to auto-pilot mode. Did you ever notice that you wash the same way every day? I mean, how often do you ask yourself, “Hmmm… Should I go for the left ear first or the right one?” You don’t process, you just soap up, get clean, and rinse off. All of this happens without much participation from the frontal lobe.

Lastly, provided that you don’t tolerate intruders, you are left completely uninterrupted for 10, sometimes 20, decadent minutes. With no interruptions from the phone, tv, radio, spouse, kids, dogs, it’s “all you, all the time.” Ahh! Because of this, your brain is free! It can roam freely over terrain it might not traverse otherwise.

What you get

While you’re washing, you might come up with things like:

• A plausible interpretation for a dream you had this morning
• The name of that woman you want to call
• Something you want to put in your will
• Pick up milk and broccoli while you’re out
• A new service that could generate income for your business

The bottom line is that, in the shower, all the conditions are right and your brain is having a field day. Some of the stuff that pops up has the potential, if put to use, to directly benefit you, your business, your clients, your financial status, and so on.

So take a moment to appreciate your grey matter and modern plumbing. What a team!

How to keep your ideas from going down the drain

If you’re like a lot of people, ideas must get written down so you can remember to follow up on them later.

But, practically speaking, it’s hard to record when you’re soaking wet. Do not bring your new iPhone into the tub.

The trick is to duplicate the uninterrupted time you get in the shower when you have a dry, accessible recording device handy.

One way to do this is to just take a pen and notepad into bathroom, lock the door behind you, and jot down your thoughts before you hop in to get clean. Or, you can do this immediately after the shower. No one will ever know.

Before your day begins, even just once a week, you can indulge in a decadent moment with a fancy journal, a fountain pen, and a cup of tea.   One of my clients thought she might try using kids’ bathtub crayons on the tile to record her ideas. Go wild! Whatever it takes to get the ideas recorded.

Whatever you do, commit to writing down your thoughts so you can put them to use. It doesn’t take much extra time and, when your brain knows you’re taking it seriously, it will reward you with even better, more plentiful ideas.

Your turn! What tricks do you use to capture your ideas on the fly? I’d love to hear from you!

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