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September 19, 2006
3 Steps to Projects that Inspire
I was browsing through a great conversation today in the GTD Connect forums about inspirational projects, folks sharing their "way cool" projects, many of which are in Someday/Maybe land, and I got to thinking about how it's unfortunate that so many of our most heartfelt dreams get sidelined for more practical endeavors.
One of the toughest habits I had to kick when I first got into GTD was the belief that Projects need to be "work" and Someday/Maybe items need to be "play". As soon as I became aware of this, I began letting go of the old habit, and living in a more fun and fluid way. Want to know how to make your projects more inspiring and meaningful? Here's how I do it.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself Every Week:
1. Are there any fun, joyful, playful, creative, nurturing projects that I need to add to my list? (Now give yourself the freedom to think of a whole mess of them. There will be plenty of time to cross off the crazy ones later, for now just jot them down and see if any of them make the cut to your action lists.)
2. Am I fluidly moving reminders between my Someday/Maybe list and my Projects list, based on what's realistic, rather than what's idealistic? (Hint: if you've done your weekly review and not one single item has moved between the two lists, you're probably not renegotiating all you commitments honestly!)
3. Is there any Someday\Maybe item that's so powerful, so alive, and so real for me that I choose to make it a current Project right now, no looking back? (Can I realistically put my energy into more of my "great work", and how do I do that? What's my next action step? Will I have to renegotiate other commitments to make room for this new priority?)
As it turns out, we have all the power we need to turn "someday" into "this day". This power lies in ability to make decisions, a skill not to be underestimated if you're using GTD to make it up and make it happen.
Take it deeper-
Want to get inspired about using the Someday/Maybe list? Here are 3 great stories from GTDers about the power of the Someday/Maybe:
1. A system for incubating priceless ideas - from David Allen's archives
2. The power of a clear intention - from the blog of Jason Womack
3. Renewed peace of mind - a coaching success story from Meg Edwards
Posted by Lisa at September 19, 2006 10:55 PM
Comments
Inspiring post, Lisa. Thank you.
Posted by: Matthew Cornell at September 25, 2006 02:06 PM