Last week I wrote about the problem with setting twofers as goals. Drafting that article took longer than I planned, as I mentioned. What I didn’t say was that it took 5x as long as I planned! 14 hours! That was ridiculous in some ways, and okay in others, because it enabled me to make […] The post A Case Study in Integrating Systems appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
For years, I’ve been arguing against a simplistic “just do it” approach to getting things done. That approach uses pressure as the prime motivator. But pressure sabotages your ability to think clearly and creatively. The alternative I developed is self-direction, a method of activating the values you already hold to motivate the action. The general […] The post The Focus Sprint appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
My mother had a few one-liners she used to encourage us. If you were in a funk, she would say, “You need to stand on your head.” If you faced a daunting task, she would say, “Effort, St. Swithins!” I never did learn how to stand on my head, nor why St. Swithins should be […] The post Effort, St. Swithins! appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
If you’ve read my newsletter for a long time, you know a few things about my thoughts related to working on a deadline. I don’t think it is ever wise to suppress your emotions (barring a literal life-and-death emergency) — a related discussion is here. Based on this conclusion, I gave up acting on the […] The post Thoughts on Sticking to a Deadline for Writing Work appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
If you lack momentum on some project, that means your goal or the path to your goal is vague in some way. It is not enough to have a generalized idea of the outcome and the steps involved. You need clarity regarding how your steps will get you from here to there. If you aren’t […] The post Gain Momentum with an Initiative appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
A role model is someone who exemplifies your ideal in some area. Though you can learn concrete skills from role models, there is something more important you get from them: an integrated sense of the kind of person you want to be. That is what is irreplaceable. When that vision is stored in your memory, […] The post The Value of Role Models appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
An “affirmation” is a positive statement about your own knowledge, skill, or values, which you memorize in some way. Some common examples are: I am a good person. I know enough to do this job. I can take the next step. Some self-help books recommend you collect such statements and repeat them to yourself morning, […] The post Learn the Words for the Time You Will Need Them appeared first on Thinking Directions.| Thinking Directions
Most advice on time management needs qualification. This caveat applies to the oft-heard advice to decide how long you will take for a task and then just do it in that time. This idea sounds appealing. Consider how much easier your life would be if you could simply allot one hour to clear out the closet […]| Thinking Directions
Guilt is the emotion that you feel when you believe you have failed to live up to your own moral standards. It is perhaps the most enervating emotion. It makes you want to curl up in a little ball to block it out and avoid it. But that is the worst thing you can do. […]| Thinking Directions
