Thus begins a new series around getting stalled long-term projects moving again.It’s easy for this type of project to get pushed off to the side: fighting fires, unclear objectives, fear of failure (even fear of success!), lack of commitment, burnout, etc. We will provide a variety of options to get the wheels back on the bus and the motor running.
There are two approaches to this endeavor: the Practical and the Emotional. Both are important, despite what you hyper-rationalist left-brain types may assert, and we will alternate from each side of the equation.
Also, and this is important enough that I will repeat it in each post: as you try new things to get your project moving, avoid judging your work a success or a failure. Why? Because everything is a success if you learn from it. Instead, think “what did I learn from trying that?” If you learn that you can’t focus in the afternoon, that’s not a failure, that is great learning, now go try a different time of day! If you keep trying to focus in the afternoon, you are not learning, and not getting the results you want, only then have you failed. So, that said, you will either get what you want, or you will learn, and both results are wins!
So, let’s get down to it. Today’s first technique is…Establish a Routine! OK, I actually hate the word “routine,” I prefer to think of it as a “groove.” The point is, you set aside predictable work time at frequent intervals that work well with your personal rhythms, and you tune out all distractions. So, maybe you come to work early and spend from 7 – 8 am with your office door closed. Maybe you hide in a Starbucks across the street or in a conference room from 3 – 5. You turn off, or at least ignore, your BlackBerry and let people know you want to concentrate. You need to protect this time, make sure you don’t get sucked into meetings, emergencies, or water-cooler chat. Also, find a place that works for you. When I was first working on my dissertation, I was in my home office in the basement with no people around. Perfect, right? Wrong, I am a people-person, I went nuts, and I got distracted by laundry and the cats. When I started working at a café, my productivity shot up. That’s me. What works for you?
What is important about this? It creates predictability for you and for your colleagues and staff, and it creates a regular time for you to work on this project, at which you will chip away at it until it’s done. That way, you won’t have to fight for time to work on it, or take it home at night, you will have a certain time to devote to your project…and therefore, you’ll actually work on it instead of thinking “I’ll get to that when it slows down…” even though it never actually slows down (so you never get to it).
So, bottom line: set aside a regular time when you can work on your project, and choose a time and a place that is conducive to the work you are doing.
Read round two of this series here: PAIN & GAIN
UPDATE: Coach Bill Baren recently published on a similar topic here. To summarize his post:
· CHOOSE YOUR TOP PRIORITY
· CREATE A PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT
· ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
· SET A TIMER FOR 50 MINUTES
· WORK WITH FOCUS FOR 50 MINUTES
· DON’T DO ANYTHING ELSE
· REWARD YOURSELF
Similarly, check out the Pomodoro technique, which also makes use of a kitchen timer and tight focus.
