Quote Originally Posted by glued_to_chair

Just one question that was nagging me while i was listening. what do you do with next actions for creative, time intensive projects?

I mean, how can I break it down further - or generally speed up and be more productive?
A trick I use is time or quantity. For example, "Brainstorm at least 7 story-board sections for next article"

Quote Originally Posted by glued_to_chair


I'm a freelance radio producer, recently I've been doing promotional documentaries for businesses and organizations. My projects have about a 10 week time frame. My work format is probably similar to any independent creative professional, so any freelance writers, film producers, whoever, I'd love to hear your input.

Is this an effective next action:

"Write script"

Because that could take me a half hour or it could take me all day. Seems like I'm a perfectionist and time just flows by. Then I have no time for anything else.
Sounds to me that "Write Script" is the project. (Identify-able, successful outcome. Then, the next actions simply line up to make that happen. An author-friend of mine takes large sheets of butcher paper and storyboards the entire book he's currently working on. (He's done this for over thirty books on financial management!) At the far right side of the large sheet of paper is an icon representing the BOOK. Then, throughout the middle are the steps, components and/or sections to get there. THEN, he takes pieces of those parts and works through next actions. Sometimes, an hour at a time, sometimes a day at a time, sometimes he takes the whole day off!

Quote Originally Posted by glued_to_chair


Or even
"brainstorm ideas for script"
"write rough draft"
"Finalize draft."

NO matter how clean it looks on my next actions list, the actual doing of the thing seems so unpredictable.

Here is where identifying the NEXT action is so powerful. Even if you can't do it now, what would you do to start again? "Doing" a project is just like reading a book. Until the book is finished, you keep a bookmark to let yourself know where to start reading next time you pick up the book.