Getting it All Done
Real Title: I swear my list of get it all done is growing…I think they are mating and making little babies…Help I’m Going Under
We all have some form of a list which is in essence our list of things we feel the need to Get it All Done. Some write it out while others have a mental checklist. And there are those hybrids like me who do both—write it down as well as keep a mental one. I’m such an overachiever. NOT.
I’m gonna start you off right away with my big secret on how I Get it All Done. Telling you now so you can get the not getting what I said, upset and storming off. When you do storm off when I give this secret, be sure and come back. I’m about to blow your mind. And hopefully make you realize some things. Maybe…maybe not. smile
Getting it All Done Secret
Knowledge you can’t.
So there you have it. For those who are irritated I’ll be here when you come back to read the rest. 🙂
Continuing on. That’s my big secret. I know I can’t get it all done. We set such huge things that we feel we need to do and intellectually we know it’s not possible but that overachiever (and yes we all are that is some way so don’t deny it) in you is sure gonna try or do everything to get it all done. And when we don’t here comes the failure train. The saboteur of everything else. And that saboteur is yourself. Yes there I said it. You are your own saboteur. And that is because of…well keep reading and you’ll see what I mean. Yeah I’m enticing you to read more. 🙂
When this happens that we don’t get it all done, we think of all we didn’t get to do instead of what we did do.
So here is another part of the secret to Getting it All Done.
Getting it All Done Secret Part 2
Acceptance that you can’t.
Mind Blown yet. You have to have both the knowledge in you can’t and also the acceptance you can’t. Instead of focusing on it all focus on what you can do. No I’m not saying to not have that massive list of stuff you do for your Getting it All Done. What I am saying is to have the Getting it All Done Secret I mentioned in mind. And yes there are more secrets to getting it done also. 🙂
Prioritize what is the most important on your getting it all done. Then work on that to chip away until you get it all done. Timing is essential. As in setting realistic expectation of what you can and cannot accomplish in the time you have.
Reality check time. We are creative people and need to make sure we protect that creativity. You need to create an environment so that creative in you can flourish, kick ass and take no prisoners. The frantic schedule of Getting it All Done doesn’t do that. But if you do a mind reset of the secrets I shared then…yes that creative will not be held hostage to the Getting it All Done.
What happens when you’re not in the Getting it All Done rollercoaster of doom?
You get shit done. And another secret it’s more than you think that you get done.
Each week so far since I started the Designer’s Edge Ink facebook group I post on Monday’s an Author Boss To Do List. Remember what I mentioned about that in last newsletter. Good. That list is what you want to do with your Author Boss Bad Ass self. In the same group on Friday, I post a DO YOUR BEST which is the recap of the week. And yes it also is part of what I said in another newsletter here too. smile The DO YOUR BEST post in the group isn’t about what you didn’t do but about what you did. Because let’s face it no matter how much people get done in a week many times they feel it isn’t enough. So this post in the group is so people celebrate what they did instead of get bogged down in what they didn’t.
I know with all that we have going on it can be very difficult to get all you have planned done. Or one thing happens that you didn’t expect and it derails you whole plan. But you notice the derail in there and not stop. Adapting comes in really handy when things like this happen. Just like I had to do as I mentioned in the last few newsletters. Yes I had my this sucks, cursing and pissed off time but then buckled down and figured out how to move forward.
Another spoiler alert – adapting will become a familiar friend.
Things don’t go as we plan them. Which when you are in the Getting it All Done mind can really throw you off. No matter how we want to control everything we can’t and shit happens then you adapt to keep moving forward. You learn and then grow.
You can’t expect your creative to work under the weight of the Getting it All Done. You will stifle it. And believe me it will make you pay and pay hard.
Since I know the secrets (as well as a few others) I mentioned to you I’ve become more aware of Getting it All Done and what that means. To recap
Getting it All Done Secret
Knowledge you can’t. Acceptance that you can’t.
With that I’m more able to do my version of Getting It All Done. Yes I still have my list with the expectation of Getting it All Done but the pressure of what that means has shifted. Yes, I will strive for it but I prioritize items on my list.
I’m a spreadsheet junkie so I have the list on a spreadsheet and it’s color coordinated (also uses my Gold Digger Darts for this) too. Yes I am such a geek and organizer. LOL. One of my favorite colors (I have 4 of them) is the must get done for the week and then I have other colors based on priority of importance. So no, no putting them all one color. You know which are must get done and which are must get done but can be moved if needed so set your list based on that.
And leave room for being able to adapt. Yes we all want to Get it All Done but when it’s at the cost of your creativity which is what is needed to produce your books then it’s time to rethink it.
I know some of you are snorting that I don’t know what the heck I am talking about and wondering how I can be so Zen about not Getting it All done. Basically in your mind I failed and am trying to find a way to justify that I didn’t Get it All Done. First, give me a moment while I ponder that for a moment. Yeah I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about as I have mentioned this is what works for me. Second, I have nothing. Zen and me in same sentence made my brain short out. LOL.
Now back to the failure bit. Not Getting it All Done in my eyes is not a failure. And it took me a long time to get that. Before this mindset I got I let the Get it All Done monkey on my back weigh me down. It was drowning me in all aspects. Most especially my family, friends and creativity. It’s one of the most difficult things to accept you are not inhuman (ie. you’re not a superhero or villain although I would be a great villain 🙂 and can be in a million places at once thus Getting it All Done. Especially when you see so many seeming to Get it All Done. Do you see the ‘seeming’ in there. You don’t know what another person Get it All Done stuff is. You are only seeing the triumphs of:
▪ Meeting that word count or doing awe-inspiring, jealously worthy number of words you couldn’t even do on your best writing day.
▪ Books seem to be flying off the shelf for them and they post all this success of selling tons of books and you wonder why it could not be me.
▪ They seem to be striking all the right cords and being noticed.
Reality Check Time – people don’t share everything.
Yeah I know shocking. But they don’t. Many times people share what looks good. They share the wins more than the failures. So when you see that you wonder about yourself.
And yes I’m again going to say I don’t do that anymore. I celebrate the wins with them without that jealousy and so on. For me I had to let go the rest because it messed with my creativity. Messed with me doing my version of Getting it All Done. So I let it go. It took time and practice like anything else. And yes there are times I backslide and fail at doing that.
Wait did you just admit you failed at something?
Why yes, yes I did. Did that blow you mind? We all fail. But it’s what you do with that fail that define it. Take that fail and make it a win by being a lesson learned. Something you can use to grow and gain from. Here comes a Scribesism – Failure is another form of success (at least in my opinion). If you don’t fail at some point how would you know you succeeded.
If you ask anyone about their success, they will tell you. But those who are truly successful will tell you the failure they made to get there. Think of it you yourself do a lot of stuff and it doesn’t work. You tell others and when you breakthrough you tell that too. Well I know at least I do. Maybe I’m just weird. I take pride in the failures that lead me to what is my version of success. And yes I say my version because mine might not look like anyone else. It shouldn’t since it is mine.
Just like my Getting it All Done is my version. And that works for me.
Now my homework to you. Stop your groaning that I am giving homework again. smile You know me I like to do that. Although I really do try not to. Okay I admit it I don’t try very hard but I do at least try a tiny bit. LOL.
Getting it All Done Homework
Write your Author Boss To Do List. Once done color code it by these labeling based on below.
▪ Must get done (pick a color to use for this. Use your favorite color if you like. I do since its my happy.)
▪ 2nd tier must get done (pick another color to use for this.)
▪ 3rd tier must get done (pick a color to use for this.)
And I’ll repeat it here. No, no putting them all one color. You know which are must get done and which are must get done but can be moved if needed so set your list based on that. So be honest with what is your priority for the week that is a part of your Getting it All Done.
And if you want to be my favorite and make my heart beat for you so hard use a spreadsheet. They are so pretty and with all those colors. Love it.
Now back to the homework. Once you do this look at list and then go about Getting it All Done your way. And remember to keep the secrets I told you in mind.
Getting it All Done Secret
Knowledge you can’t. Acceptance that you can’t.
Even if you don’t Get it All Done for that first color that’s still ok. Think on what you did get done. And own that you are an Author Boss Bad Ass doing stuff your way.
And that is the homework. See not so bad.
Now go out there and kick butt getting stuff done.
Copyright © Scribes Unleashed, 2018.
All Rights Reserved.
Note: This is cross-posted in various places.
Happy Writing!
Scribes Unleashed
(Taige, McKenna and Talia)
Learning , adventure and sharing
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