It’s day 2 of a new year and like many, I am thinking about what I want to create in this new year. Everyone tends to have this big push to start new when the calendar flips but really we can start new any day of the week any week of the year. In fact, each day you wake up, you are starting new.
To truly get started though, it is important to stop thinking about it and actually take action.
Sometimes I struggle with that.
I have all these ideas floating around in my head and can easily get overwhelmed on which to focus on first. So first I need to get them out of my head, and allow my energy can calm down so I can stop swirling.
I used to put all my ideas on sticky notes and then stick them on a 24×36 inch paper taped to my wall. I like being able to move my ideas around and put them into different categories without having to rewrite my list.
However, since I moved two years ago, my pages have been folded up and stored away out of site.
Out of site, out of mind…
In my new found zest to start anew, I decided to go digital this year. This way I have it with me wherever I go since I can access it on my phone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
There are a multitude of project planners out there, right now I am using Microsoft Planner. It came with my Microsoft 365 Business Basic account and I use it for both personal and business planning. Trello is another option I considered and they have a free plan available if you don’t have access to Microsoft Planner.
Let me tell you, it felt good to dump out all the information floating around in my head into the app. Now I am able to put them in categories, set time frames, track my progress and free up space in my head. Although it doesn’t always feel like I am taking action when I create my lists, I am. It’s one of the first steps I need to create a solid foundation for what’s to come.
I don’t always like structure, yet I crave structure, flexible structure. Taking the time to get all the ideas out of my head and make at least a high level plan gives me that structure. It also gives me a way to keep me accountable.
I find that some buckets (categories) are just that, a place to store ideas. Others however, start as a simple bucket then they get more specific and the ideas within become action items. I start to see how they feed into each other and spawn new ideas/actions. It’s beautiful to see it all come together, bringing order to what was once orderless.
I didn’t realize how much I need and enjoy this sort of structure in my life until just now. When it comes to working on my business or personal needs, I have a habit of putting them last and putting my clients, friends, and family first.
Subsequently, this leads to me to burnout, resistance and shutting down.
Not a fun way to go through life.
So, as much as I dislike structure and being reminded if I fall behind, having a system in place helps me to stay focused, notice when I am overcommitting, or putting my business/personal needs last. It is part of the solid foundation needed for my business or myself to grow and the perfect step for me to get started.
Maybe, this is something you need too, if so, check back in a few weeks for my intro to Microsoft Planner video.
