December 7, 2024 • 19 mins
It's that time of year again, when we look back at what happened last year in our lives and what we hope to make happen next year in our writing lives.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Good morning.
Good evening.
Good afternoon, Julie, from Story A Dayhere with a StoryADay podcast, we are
back in action for the end of the year.
So how's it going?
And are you thinking about planning ahead?
I know I am.
I always do a workshop wrote abouteither the end of the year or the
beginning of the year for people.
(00:21):
I call it my variously, my annualplanning workshop, or my looking
back looking forward workshop.
We did something like this at theend of story, a day may, that was
the plan ahead workshop, which took,successes that you've had recently and
applied those lessons to the future.
But I think it's really good idea to dothis stuff every six months, at least
(00:43):
if not more often, because we are.
Creatures of change.
And I'm inviting you to join us thisMonday for our annual planning workshop.
If you don't hear this live, there'llbe a replay available to purchase.
So what we'll do on Monday, I'll havetwo sessions different times of the
(01:03):
day, and we'll take some time to goover what you've actually achieved.
In the past year.
I know that sounds terrifyingbecause you probably, as a few.
If you're looking back and you'reanything like most of us creative people.
You're going to go, oh, Ihaven't done anything this year.
Oh, it's been so busy.
Oh, there was an election.
Oh, there was a summer.
Oh, there were all thesethings that happened and I
(01:25):
really haven't written much.
However, what I find is when I takepeople through this exercise, they
actually discover they've writtenquite a lot, or they've achieved
things in other areas of their life,which make them go, oh, you know what?
That's I didn't get a lot written,but look, I had a baby and made it
(01:45):
survive till it was nine months old.
And.
I got married.
I had grandchildren, I dealt withcancer and all that time I was
journaling or I, I actually didget four or five stories written
during story at AMA that's amazing.
So when you pause on someone,forces you to look back at
(02:06):
what you've actually achieved.
It can surprise you.
So I'm going to invite you tocome along to that workshop.
If you can make it.
And spend some time with us justgoing over what you've achieved,
and then I'll take you throughmy pace system for goal setting.
It's a, an acronym of course, which helpsyou pace yourself for the next year.
(02:26):
It's very easy to setlots of exciting goals.
And last month we did the no, themonth before last we did a workshop on.
Change.
And how.
How to make your characters change,how to make yourself change.
And we talked about the psychologyof how to make change in your life.
(02:46):
And.
Actually is quite difficult, but thereare hacks or shortcuts to get you.
From where you just have this bigidea that you're going to change.
Going through the process of making thatchange, making it stick, falling off the
wagon and quickly getting back on again.
So taking lessons from that and applyingit to your goal setting, it's very easy
(03:09):
at this time of year to set massive goals.
That are not even just realistic, butnot ones that are personal to you.
Not ones that really excite you, not onesthat you're Capable of doing right now.
And then you end up feelingbad about yourself because
you haven't lived up to them.
So this pace system really takesa look at what you want to do.
(03:30):
What's realistic for you next year.
What's a little bit more than alittle more challenging than that.
And what excites you about your goals and.
Then we'll get intodiscussion with each other.
So that you can bounce your ideasoff other people and say, Does this
sound like I'm being realistic ordoes this sound like a little too
(03:50):
realistic is not exciting enough.
And I'm just going toget bored and not do it.
So it's really helpful to havediscussions with other people.
And the story of thecommunity is an amazing.
Place to do that becauseeveryone is coming in putting
their egos aside and just.
Having their egos.
Sufficiently in the room when they'retalking about themselves and their
goals, but also putting their egosaside and we're really willing to help
(04:15):
other people listen to themselves.
So that's, what's going on.
While I've been doing that.
I've been looking all of the worksheetsthat I do and I've produced for.
Planning for myself and for writers.
And updating some of them andcoming up with some new ones.
And I've been thinking about productivity.
A lot over the past.
(04:36):
15 years because I am ambitiousand I think you are too.
And nobody else's systemquite works for me.
But I've taken bits and piecesof other people's systems.
So as I think ahead to writing morenext year, and I have been writing
this year and I've been loving it.
A little personal update.
I have been taking.
(04:57):
I've been part of a writing cohortwith somebody else leading it.
For my my own enjoyment and havingexternal deadlines imposed by
somebody else has been fantastic.
It's got me writing again and I am.
I am finding that I'm writing.
I'm really enjoying writing myfiction again, sometimes leading.
(05:20):
The story at a community and groupdoesn't always help me to write.
As much as I should.
It absolutely does.
During challenge months.
And when things are goingwell, but sometimes having
somebody external telling you.
To do stuff and having plunkeddown some money for that.
Is an extremely valuable experience.
I'm finding that for myself, bybeing in somebody else's group.
(05:42):
If you don't have a group thatyou're in, I'm going to let you
know that the superstars groupis open now for registration.
If you need a little push from agroup or from me, or from some other
people to help you pay attentionto your writing, that's open for
registration to the end of the year.
And I'll be opening up the, Icurrently am, will putting up, but
I'll be running live meetings forthe irate or course, which is a six
(06:04):
week journey through the short story.
And through the business of race.
Building a writing practice for yourself.
That will start in January.
Although you can get access toall of the materials right now.
If you register today, come overto story a day.org, something
will pop up and offer you that.
Any who.
As I was planning.
(06:24):
I'm celebrating the writingthat I've been doing.
And I've been thinking aboutall of the productivity.
Systems that I'veinvestigated over the year.
And people keep pushing DavidAllen's get getting things done.
System on me.
And there's much about that systemthat doesn't work for me as someone
who's a bit ADHD putting things away.
(06:46):
Like his system is all aboutwriting things down and
then putting them in files.
I'm the kind of person who needs thingsout on their desk because otherwise they'd
just disappear from my consciousness.
So I do a lot of list-making and list.
List building to try and stop myself fromhaving physical stuff all over my desk.
And I like diagrams andcharts and stuff like that.
So one of the ideas from David Allen'ssystem, however, is that you should have.
(07:13):
No more than six active projectson the goal at any one time.
One to three is better.
Six is the absolute maximum.
Now, if you're like me, you'reprobably guffawing at that.
So I sat down.
What I did is I createda circle, a diagram.
That's a circle.
And I divided it into wedges sothat our six wedges, like a very
tasty, greedy person's pizza.
(07:36):
And because nobody's doingeight slices of pizza.
Let's talk about that.
And it's just, six is fine.
So I've got six wedges in mylittle circle and incite each.
I wrote areas of my work lifethat I wanted, that I want to
pay attention to next year.
And I'm going to provide a link toa blank version of this document.
So you can see and maybe use ityourself may not work for you.
(07:59):
But this is working for me isreally helping me to think about
what I'm going to do next year.
So I did this pie chart basicallywith six wedges and their insight,
those six areas I've got things likeshort stories is in one of them.
Novels.
Isn't another one.
Cause I have a whole bunch of shortstories and novels, which I've been
writing and are in, which are invarious stages of drafts, almost
(08:22):
ready to go out, being sent out andI have to keep track of them all.
Then in the third wedge, I havestory a day because I've got
various tasks to do with story a daythat I, that are important to me.
So I feel like, sorry, it is a project.
Then I have the story of the superstarsgroup is one of my wedges because that's
a cause near and dear to my heart.
And I want to make sure thatI'm keeping those things.
(08:43):
On my priority list.
And then I've got two other areaswhich are not related to this part
of my life, but are work related.
One one's work related and one is to dowith personal development and general
sort of intellectual development.
So I've got these sixareas of my work life.
And they're in the center of the pie.
Then I have.
(09:04):
Rays coming out from the outside ofthe circle so that I can write down.
The.
Smaller projects within those projects.
So in my short stories, one, thereare rays coming off it, and there
are the names of three, currentlythree short stories that I'm.
In various stages of thinkingabout, and then the novels one,
(09:25):
there are actually four rays comingoff that, and each of those can be
a project in the story of D one.
They've got the challengewhich comes around every may.
I've got one story September,which I'm going to do again this
year, I've got like general.
Communicating with you guys, like thepodcast and the blog and things like that.
Creating content, workshops, blog,posts, all that kind of stuff.
(09:47):
And those are all projects.
So once I started filling out theserays that go around the outside of the
circle, it starts to look really busy.
And I filled everythingin as far as I could.
And then beyond the res I've gotmore little branches off each one.
So like my short story that I'm short.
Cut naming robots.
It's not the actual title of the story,but that's my shorthand for myself.
(10:08):
So in this.
So there's a short story wedge than aRay coming off that this has robots.
That's a short story.
That's a project.
The little brunches that come offthat are, they need to revise it
and need to get people to reread it.
And then I need toresearch places to send it.
And I haven't got any for, I'm notgoing to get any further with that.
Just know, because those are the.
The top three things Ineed to Taney next steps.
(10:29):
I need to be thinking about.
For that particular project.
So each one of the rays comingoff, my, my six project areas.
I've got a bunch of differentprojects in each and then off those,
I've got little tasks associatedwith those projects, which is the
state of where I am right now.
This is not something that's going tocarry me through the next year, but
(10:50):
the little branches that I have goingoff each one with a tiny, next steps.
They're going to carry me throughthe next couple of months.
And here's the thing.
It looks like a lot of stuff on the paper.
Cause there's all this stuff writtenall over the paper leads, rays
coming out from my central circle.
But here's where the one tosix projects thing comes in.
Anyone team I'm only workingon one thing like currently
(11:13):
I'm working on this podcast.
Earlier on, I was working on admin.
So you can only ever workon one thing at a time.
In any given moment.
What I did when I looked at my, my.
PI with all the rays coming offit, maybe we'll call it the sun.
I looked at things like story a day,write the story at a wedge there.
(11:35):
There's only one project in there that Ineed to worry about this at the moment.
And it's creating content, creating freecontent, podcasts, blogs, stuff like that.
I'm not worried about the storyof the MI challenge currently.
That I will start worrying aboutin January, because January
to me, I really focus on that.
But June to December, Idon't, that's not a priority.
(11:57):
For me that the may challengeis not a high priority for me.
So although I've got I don't know how manyprojects, what six teams for projects.
The least.
So let's see, I've got 18 differentprojects around the outside 24
different projects from the outside.
At any one time, I can look at thatand I can go, okay, here are the
six max that I'm thinking about.
(12:18):
Two of them are currently inmy short stories area because
I really want to get those.
That work done.
There's nothing.
There's another wedge that,that I didn't name for you.
That one has nothing in it currently.
There's no, no priorities in there.
In my story at day one, it's creatingcontent in my superstars when it's
creating a workshop is coming up for them.
In my novels, one, there's one of thefour novel projects that I've highlighted.
(12:42):
So I've got six.
Projects.
But I've also got one sheet ofpaper that shows me everything
that I want to be thinking about.
In this phase of my life.
So once.
I've got those.
That first short story out in the world.
I'll on the highlight thatpart because I'm digging up my
(13:02):
iPad so I can color things in.
I'm with my stylist now on thehighlight that part and I'll highlight
one of the other protests, ormaybe I'll go over here to the one.
That's got nothing highlighted.
I'll pick another project for thenext few weeks to be one of my six
projects that are the maximum Ican be thinking about any one team.
And then when I sit down to work, everytime I sit down at my desk, I can look
(13:23):
at that diagram and those six thingsthat I have highlighted and I can
say, okay, This next two hour block.
What am I going to work on?
And you might not have a two hourblock, but you might look at that
and go, Ooh, my next 15 minutes,what am I going to work on?
And so I'm looking at the project.
I'm looking at the little tasksthat I've seen myself within that.
(13:43):
And it just breaks everything down into.
A much more manageable visual for me.
I've got tons of stuff.
I want to be working on.
But I've taken some timetoday to prioritize.
What am I six projects for the nextfew weeks that I absolutely want
to focus on that are going to giveme a real sense of accomplishment.
(14:04):
If I get them done.
Or that are important becauseof timing, things like this
workshop that's coming up.
I have to get that donebecause it's a timing thing.
It's, there's a deadline.
And then I can cross that one offand I can think about what other
project I want to slot into spacethat I was dedicating to that.
That's one of the things I'll be showingpeople at the at the workshop on Monday.
(14:26):
How I'm working.
How I'm using that, that Diagram.
To just limit my choices every day,but not limit my choices overall.
It came out of reviewing my year.
Reviewing what felt good for me this year?
Reviewing.
What I don't want to be doing.
Next year.
(14:47):
I think that's important topay attention to as well.
Not just, your aspirations,but the things you're like, I
never want to do that again.
Never.
That's what I've beenthinking about this week.
Cause it's coming up to the end of theyear and the planning and I'm not going
to see a resolution setting becausethat kinda doesn't work, but there are.
Reviews.
And planning ahead.
(15:07):
That will be happening around here.
And.
That's what I have for you this week.
The podcast has been a little bithit and miss in terms of coming out
recently, I've been recording longer.
Episodes, and then not producingthem and getting the vote to you.
So I'm back to the 15 minutes going tokit you with quick hits of whatever's
(15:30):
going on in my productivity and creativitylife, and hopefully inspire you.
Two.
Come along with me on that journey.
I will let you know that I have.
Handful of new people have jumpedinto the superstars group, which is
fantastic because it's such a greatgroup and it always revitalizes
the group when new people come in.
(15:51):
So they're turning up for writing sprints.
They.
They're coming to our Hangouts.
They'll be at some of them will be atthe workshop on Monday, and we've got
a book club that we're doing inside thegroup now where we're going to look at
the 20, 24 best American short storieson theology over the next few months.
If you need a home.
Online where you can show up as muchor as little as you want, that will
(16:14):
reinforce your identity as a writer.
I would invite you to investigatethe story at a superstars.
I am bundling the story of thesuperstars and the irate, or course
at a substantial discount right now.
If you come over to the links, if you'reon your phone, listen to this podcast and
you're not driving or something like that.
Open up the podcast app.
(16:35):
Click on that little I button for moreinformation, look at the show notes
in there and click on the link thatsays, tell me more about superstars
and you can see more about what we do.
There's a link to a tour of the portal.
There's information aboutwhat the irate course is.
It's a fantastic bargain right now.
I would jump on it if you can.
And there's a payment plan and all thosekinds of things, but really if you want to
(16:58):
start now, And get a jump on the new year.
And if you want to go intothe new year, not with vegan
tensions about writing more.
But with a course that you can followsix modules, right through the beginning
of the year, January into February.
Every week, there's new lessons for you.
There's new assignments for you.
There's a meeting every week for thefirst few weeks of the year for six weeks.
(17:21):
I think of the year we'redoing meetings there.
When you get to meet some otherwriters where you can ask me questions.
And it's all bundled in with sixmonths of the superstars right now.
And I would love to haveyou as part of that.
I think if you're listening tothis, you're probably a really good
candidate for being part of our group.
That's what I have for you right now.
I just think that if you are.
(17:43):
Listening to this.
And you're not writing as much asyou want to, and you don't know.
Quite what next step to take.
Give yourself six months.
In the superstars with us.
And see what happens.
I have seen.
Amazing things happens for people.
I've seen their identity change.
I've seen them gettheir first publication.
(18:04):
I've seen them get their 50th publication.
I've seen them.
Create a place.
Where they don't get to hide.
And where they get to show up.
And are always welcomed.
And.
Never guilted, but always encouraged.
A place where you can find people toread your work, a place where you can
(18:26):
find people to hold you accountable.
And to listen, when you say I'm goingto do this thing this week, there'll be
somebody in the community who will go.
I got you.
I heard you.
I'm going to, I'm going tofollow up with you on that.
And It's a wonderful thing.
If you would like someof that in your life.
Follow the link come over to I'm sorry.
(18:46):
They don't org forward slash superstars.
We'll get you there as well.
And I'll be back next week withmore inspiration, enthusiasm.
And updates on what's goingon in my own racing life.
Having a blast, writingmy fiction right now.
I hope you are too.
And that's it for this week.
Keep writing.
Good morning.
Good evening.
Good afternoon, Julie, from Story A Dayhere with a StoryADay podcast, we are
back in action for the end of the year.
So how's it going?
And are you thinking about planning ahead?
I know I am.
I always do a workshop wrote abouteither the end of the year or the
beginning of the year for people.
(00:21):
I call it my variously, my annualplanning workshop, or my looking
back looking forward workshop.
We did something like this at theend of story, a day may, that was
the plan ahead workshop, which took,successes that you've had recently and
applied those lessons to the future.
But I think it's really good idea to dothis stuff every six months, at least
(00:43):
if not more often, because we are.
Creatures of change.
And I'm inviting you to join us thisMonday for our annual planning workshop.
If you don't hear this live, there'llbe a replay available to purchase.
So what we'll do on Monday, I'll havetwo sessions different times of the
(01:03):
day, and we'll take some time to goover what you've actually achieved.
In the past year.
I know that sounds terrifyingbecause you probably, as a few.
If you're looking back and you'reanything like most of us creative people.
You're going to go, oh, Ihaven't done anything this year.
Oh, it's been so busy.
Oh, there was an election.
Oh, there was a summer.
Oh, there were all thesethings that happened and I
(01:25):
really haven't written much.
However, what I find is when I takepeople through this exercise, they
actually discover they've writtenquite a lot, or they've achieved
things in other areas of their life,which make them go, oh, you know what?
That's I didn't get a lot written,but look, I had a baby and made it
(01:45):
survive till it was nine months old.
And.
I got married.
I had grandchildren, I dealt withcancer and all that time I was
journaling or I, I actually didget four or five stories written
during story at AMA that's amazing.
So when you pause on someone,forces you to look back at
(02:06):
what you've actually achieved.
It can surprise you.
So I'm going to invite you tocome along to that workshop.
If you can make it.
And spend some time with us justgoing over what you've achieved,
and then I'll take you throughmy pace system for goal setting.
It's a, an acronym of course, which helpsyou pace yourself for the next year.
(02:26):
It's very easy to setlots of exciting goals.
And last month we did the no, themonth before last we did a workshop on.
Change.
And how.
How to make your characters change,how to make yourself change.
And we talked about the psychologyof how to make change in your life.
(02:46):
And.
Actually is quite difficult, but thereare hacks or shortcuts to get you.
From where you just have this bigidea that you're going to change.
Going through the process of making thatchange, making it stick, falling off the
wagon and quickly getting back on again.
So taking lessons from that and applyingit to your goal setting, it's very easy
(03:09):
at this time of year to set massive goals.
That are not even just realistic, butnot ones that are personal to you.
Not ones that really excite you, not onesthat you're Capable of doing right now.
And then you end up feelingbad about yourself because
you haven't lived up to them.
So this pace system really takesa look at what you want to do.
(03:30):
What's realistic for you next year.
What's a little bit more than alittle more challenging than that.
And what excites you about your goals and.
Then we'll get intodiscussion with each other.
So that you can bounce your ideasoff other people and say, Does this
sound like I'm being realistic ordoes this sound like a little too
(03:50):
realistic is not exciting enough.
And I'm just going toget bored and not do it.
So it's really helpful to havediscussions with other people.
And the story of thecommunity is an amazing.
Place to do that becauseeveryone is coming in putting
their egos aside and just.
Having their egos.
Sufficiently in the room when they'retalking about themselves and their
goals, but also putting their egosaside and we're really willing to help
(04:15):
other people listen to themselves.
So that's, what's going on.
While I've been doing that.
I've been looking all of the worksheetsthat I do and I've produced for.
Planning for myself and for writers.
And updating some of them andcoming up with some new ones.
And I've been thinking about productivity.
A lot over the past.
(04:36):
15 years because I am ambitiousand I think you are too.
And nobody else's systemquite works for me.
But I've taken bits and piecesof other people's systems.
So as I think ahead to writing morenext year, and I have been writing
this year and I've been loving it.
A little personal update.
I have been taking.
(04:57):
I've been part of a writing cohortwith somebody else leading it.
For my my own enjoyment and havingexternal deadlines imposed by
somebody else has been fantastic.
It's got me writing again and I am.
I am finding that I'm writing.
I'm really enjoying writing myfiction again, sometimes leading.
(05:20):
The story at a community and groupdoesn't always help me to write.
As much as I should.
It absolutely does.
During challenge months.
And when things are goingwell, but sometimes having
somebody external telling you.
To do stuff and having plunkeddown some money for that.
Is an extremely valuable experience.
I'm finding that for myself, bybeing in somebody else's group.
(05:42):
If you don't have a group thatyou're in, I'm going to let you
know that the superstars groupis open now for registration.
If you need a little push from agroup or from me, or from some other
people to help you pay attentionto your writing, that's open for
registration to the end of the year.
And I'll be opening up the, Icurrently am, will putting up, but
I'll be running live meetings forthe irate or course, which is a six
(06:04):
week journey through the short story.
And through the business of race.
Building a writing practice for yourself.
That will start in January.
Although you can get access toall of the materials right now.
If you register today, come overto story a day.org, something
will pop up and offer you that.
Any who.
As I was planning.
(06:24):
I'm celebrating the writingthat I've been doing.
And I've been thinking aboutall of the productivity.
Systems that I'veinvestigated over the year.
And people keep pushing DavidAllen's get getting things done.
System on me.
And there's much about that systemthat doesn't work for me as someone
who's a bit ADHD putting things away.
(06:46):
Like his system is all aboutwriting things down and
then putting them in files.
I'm the kind of person who needs thingsout on their desk because otherwise they'd
just disappear from my consciousness.
So I do a lot of list-making and list.
List building to try and stop myself fromhaving physical stuff all over my desk.
And I like diagrams andcharts and stuff like that.
So one of the ideas from David Allen'ssystem, however, is that you should have.
(07:13):
No more than six active projectson the goal at any one time.
One to three is better.
Six is the absolute maximum.
Now, if you're like me, you'reprobably guffawing at that.
So I sat down.
What I did is I createda circle, a diagram.
That's a circle.
And I divided it into wedges sothat our six wedges, like a very
tasty, greedy person's pizza.
(07:36):
And because nobody's doingeight slices of pizza.
Let's talk about that.
And it's just, six is fine.
So I've got six wedges in mylittle circle and incite each.
I wrote areas of my work lifethat I wanted, that I want to
pay attention to next year.
And I'm going to provide a link toa blank version of this document.
So you can see and maybe use ityourself may not work for you.
(07:59):
But this is working for me isreally helping me to think about
what I'm going to do next year.
So I did this pie chart basicallywith six wedges and their insight,
those six areas I've got things likeshort stories is in one of them.
Novels.
Isn't another one.
Cause I have a whole bunch of shortstories and novels, which I've been
writing and are in, which are invarious stages of drafts, almost
(08:22):
ready to go out, being sent out andI have to keep track of them all.
Then in the third wedge, I havestory a day because I've got
various tasks to do with story a daythat I, that are important to me.
So I feel like, sorry, it is a project.
Then I have the story of the superstarsgroup is one of my wedges because that's
a cause near and dear to my heart.
And I want to make sure thatI'm keeping those things.
(08:43):
On my priority list.
And then I've got two other areaswhich are not related to this part
of my life, but are work related.
One one's work related and one is to dowith personal development and general
sort of intellectual development.
So I've got these sixareas of my work life.
And they're in the center of the pie.
Then I have.
(09:04):
Rays coming out from the outside ofthe circle so that I can write down.
The.
Smaller projects within those projects.
So in my short stories, one, thereare rays coming off it, and there
are the names of three, currentlythree short stories that I'm.
In various stages of thinkingabout, and then the novels one,
(09:25):
there are actually four rays comingoff that, and each of those can be
a project in the story of D one.
They've got the challengewhich comes around every may.
I've got one story September,which I'm going to do again this
year, I've got like general.
Communicating with you guys, like thepodcast and the blog and things like that.
Creating content, workshops, blog,posts, all that kind of stuff.
(09:47):
And those are all projects.
So once I started filling out theserays that go around the outside of the
circle, it starts to look really busy.
And I filled everythingin as far as I could.
And then beyond the res I've gotmore little branches off each one.
So like my short story that I'm short.
Cut naming robots.
It's not the actual title of the story,but that's my shorthand for myself.
(10:08):
So in this.
So there's a short story wedge than aRay coming off that this has robots.
That's a short story.
That's a project.
The little brunches that come offthat are, they need to revise it
and need to get people to reread it.
And then I need toresearch places to send it.
And I haven't got any for, I'm notgoing to get any further with that.
Just know, because those are the.
The top three things Ineed to Taney next steps.
(10:29):
I need to be thinking about.
For that particular project.
So each one of the rays comingoff, my, my six project areas.
I've got a bunch of differentprojects in each and then off those,
I've got little tasks associatedwith those projects, which is the
state of where I am right now.
This is not something that's going tocarry me through the next year, but
(10:50):
the little branches that I have goingoff each one with a tiny, next steps.
They're going to carry me throughthe next couple of months.
And here's the thing.
It looks like a lot of stuff on the paper.
Cause there's all this stuff writtenall over the paper leads, rays
coming out from my central circle.
But here's where the one tosix projects thing comes in.
Anyone team I'm only workingon one thing like currently
(11:13):
I'm working on this podcast.
Earlier on, I was working on admin.
So you can only ever workon one thing at a time.
In any given moment.
What I did when I looked at my, my.
PI with all the rays coming offit, maybe we'll call it the sun.
I looked at things like story a day,write the story at a wedge there.
(11:35):
There's only one project in there that Ineed to worry about this at the moment.
And it's creating content, creating freecontent, podcasts, blogs, stuff like that.
I'm not worried about the storyof the MI challenge currently.
That I will start worrying aboutin January, because January
to me, I really focus on that.
But June to December, Idon't, that's not a priority.
(11:57):
For me that the may challengeis not a high priority for me.
So although I've got I don't know how manyprojects, what six teams for projects.
The least.
So let's see, I've got 18 differentprojects around the outside 24
different projects from the outside.
At any one time, I can look at thatand I can go, okay, here are the
six max that I'm thinking about.
(12:18):
Two of them are currently inmy short stories area because
I really want to get those.
That work done.
There's nothing.
There's another wedge that,that I didn't name for you.
That one has nothing in it currently.
There's no, no priorities in there.
In my story at day one, it's creatingcontent in my superstars when it's
creating a workshop is coming up for them.
In my novels, one, there's one of thefour novel projects that I've highlighted.
(12:42):
So I've got six.
Projects.
But I've also got one sheet ofpaper that shows me everything
that I want to be thinking about.
In this phase of my life.
So once.
I've got those.
That first short story out in the world.
I'll on the highlight thatpart because I'm digging up my
(13:02):
iPad so I can color things in.
I'm with my stylist now on thehighlight that part and I'll highlight
one of the other protests, ormaybe I'll go over here to the one.
That's got nothing highlighted.
I'll pick another project for thenext few weeks to be one of my six
projects that are the maximum Ican be thinking about any one team.
And then when I sit down to work, everytime I sit down at my desk, I can look
(13:23):
at that diagram and those six thingsthat I have highlighted and I can
say, okay, This next two hour block.
What am I going to work on?
And you might not have a two hourblock, but you might look at that
and go, Ooh, my next 15 minutes,what am I going to work on?
And so I'm looking at the project.
I'm looking at the little tasksthat I've seen myself within that.
(13:43):
And it just breaks everything down into.
A much more manageable visual for me.
I've got tons of stuff.
I want to be working on.
But I've taken some timetoday to prioritize.
What am I six projects for the nextfew weeks that I absolutely want
to focus on that are going to giveme a real sense of accomplishment.
(14:04):
If I get them done.
Or that are important becauseof timing, things like this
workshop that's coming up.
I have to get that donebecause it's a timing thing.
It's, there's a deadline.
And then I can cross that one offand I can think about what other
project I want to slot into spacethat I was dedicating to that.
That's one of the things I'll be showingpeople at the at the workshop on Monday.
(14:26):
How I'm working.
How I'm using that, that Diagram.
To just limit my choices every day,but not limit my choices overall.
It came out of reviewing my year.
Reviewing what felt good for me this year?
Reviewing.
What I don't want to be doing.
Next year.
(14:47):
I think that's important topay attention to as well.
Not just, your aspirations,but the things you're like, I
never want to do that again.
Never.
That's what I've beenthinking about this week.
Cause it's coming up to the end of theyear and the planning and I'm not going
to see a resolution setting becausethat kinda doesn't work, but there are.
Reviews.
And planning ahead.
(15:07):
That will be happening around here.
And.
That's what I have for you this week.
The podcast has been a little bithit and miss in terms of coming out
recently, I've been recording longer.
Episodes, and then not producingthem and getting the vote to you.
So I'm back to the 15 minutes going tokit you with quick hits of whatever's
(15:30):
going on in my productivity and creativitylife, and hopefully inspire you.
Two.
Come along with me on that journey.
I will let you know that I have.
Handful of new people have jumpedinto the superstars group, which is
fantastic because it's such a greatgroup and it always revitalizes
the group when new people come in.
(15:51):
So they're turning up for writing sprints.
They.
They're coming to our Hangouts.
They'll be at some of them will be atthe workshop on Monday, and we've got
a book club that we're doing inside thegroup now where we're going to look at
the 20, 24 best American short storieson theology over the next few months.
If you need a home.
Online where you can show up as muchor as little as you want, that will
(16:14):
reinforce your identity as a writer.
I would invite you to investigatethe story at a superstars.
I am bundling the story of thesuperstars and the irate, or course
at a substantial discount right now.
If you come over to the links, if you'reon your phone, listen to this podcast and
you're not driving or something like that.
Open up the podcast app.
(16:35):
Click on that little I button for moreinformation, look at the show notes
in there and click on the link thatsays, tell me more about superstars
and you can see more about what we do.
There's a link to a tour of the portal.
There's information aboutwhat the irate course is.
It's a fantastic bargain right now.
I would jump on it if you can.
And there's a payment plan and all thosekinds of things, but really if you want to
(16:58):
start now, And get a jump on the new year.
And if you want to go intothe new year, not with vegan
tensions about writing more.
But with a course that you can followsix modules, right through the beginning
of the year, January into February.
Every week, there's new lessons for you.
There's new assignments for you.
There's a meeting every week for thefirst few weeks of the year for six weeks.
(17:21):
I think of the year we'redoing meetings there.
When you get to meet some otherwriters where you can ask me questions.
And it's all bundled in with sixmonths of the superstars right now.
And I would love to haveyou as part of that.
I think if you're listening tothis, you're probably a really good
candidate for being part of our group.
That's what I have for you right now.
I just think that if you are.
(17:43):
Listening to this.
And you're not writing as much asyou want to, and you don't know.
Quite what next step to take.
Give yourself six months.
In the superstars with us.
And see what happens.
I have seen.
Amazing things happens for people.
I've seen their identity change.
I've seen them gettheir first publication.
(18:04):
I've seen them get their 50th publication.
I've seen them.
Create a place.
Where they don't get to hide.
And where they get to show up.
And are always welcomed.
And.
Never guilted, but always encouraged.
A place where you can find people toread your work, a place where you can
(18:26):
find people to hold you accountable.
And to listen, when you say I'm goingto do this thing this week, there'll be
somebody in the community who will go.
I got you.
I heard you.
I'm going to, I'm going tofollow up with you on that.
And It's a wonderful thing.
If you would like someof that in your life.
Follow the link come over to I'm sorry.
(18:46):
They don't org forward slash superstars.
We'll get you there as well.
And I'll be back next week withmore inspiration, enthusiasm.
And updates on what's goingon in my own racing life.
Having a blast, writingmy fiction right now.
I hope you are too.
And that's it for this week.
Keep writing.
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