A Little Plan, A Lot Less Stress
They say it’s not stress that causes heart attacks, but the feeling of being out of control. True or not, I find that my week is more productive, and the people around me are nicer when I take the time to plan my work. Sunday is a good day for that.
As a writer, I’ve found it efficient to gather my ideas first, when my mind is free and fresh, to make note of them and then to returrn to them later to write.
I made this a tool to help. Come look.
The Big Idea Weekly Planning Tool
This is a simple fill-in-the-blank tool that you can cut down and adjust in any way to suit how you work. Keep it near for marking ideas as you have them. Use as a chef might plan a menu for the week — note ingredients, especially rare spices in the form of facts and detail, as you think they will add interesting nuance to what you write.
Ideas Forming
Here I note ideas not yet formed. They’re germs of ideas that haven’t germinated into something I can write about yet.
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Ideas with Promise
Monday Title: _______________________________________________
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Tuesday Title: _______________________________________________
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Wednesday Title: ____________________________________________
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Thursday Title: _____________________________________________
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Friday Title: ________________________________________________
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These are enough to get a focus on the BIG IDEA of what my week will be about. As I work on one piece, my mind is aware and sensitive to what is coming up. So I unconsciously do things and consciously notice things that help the upcoming ideas form further. While I work on one, I keep adding notes on the others.
I have these sheets hand for holding on to my idea “fodder” in key places throughout my house. They are a great stress relief. I no longer try to keep every idea and detail organized in my head. I’m no longer overstraining my memory. I can pay attention to my life and the people in it.
Everything is more organized. I have more time to write. My work is productive, and what I write has better thinking behind it. I enjoy writing more, knowing that the next idea is waiting for me when I need it.
My brand value is stronger.
Will you try this tool? Do you have tools that would work well for you?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help with a problem you’re having with your writing, check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.
Heh. My “tool” is a sheet of paper on which I may write down an article idea if I remember.
I couldn’t use your system, Liz. It would put too much pressure on me to fill in those days; the ideas part is not a problem.
Just call me disorganized 😉
I was actually taught in writing class to always keep a small notebook and pen with me wherever I go. Especially on trips, even along the way, ideas start popping in my mind as I watch the people on the street from above the bus. I quickly jot them down on the small notebook.
When I return home, I go over all of them and start working on the most interesting or promising ones.
Hi! Scorpia!
I’m not organized in the traditional sense so I find little things that help me keep from holding all of my organization in my brain — a habit I’ve had all of my life. I find if I put things down visually — big picture things only — I trust that they’re there and I can quit holding to them. That frees up some thinking space. 😉
I never write in complete sentences or more than a word or two. Just enough to let me know what the plan is for Thursday when I’m off at the seminar. It’s that kind of thing. 🙂
I like your tool too. 🙂
HiJhay,
I have a little notebook I got when I bought one for my son for his birthday. It fits perfectly in the back pocket of my jeans and has an elactic cord that goes around it to keep it shut — love those office supply do-dads. 🙂
It comes with whenever I go anywhere that I think I might have more than a minute to wait for anything.
Actually, if I have an idea I do one of two things:
1) write an email to myself or better yet
2) open up my blog and write a draft post
— I have a few ideas percolating in the back of my mind, but other things are triggered by thigns I see, hear, and otherwise make the news.
Then, I can add a few resources at the same time, and it becomes easier to add links later.
My “drafts” folder in WordPress is getting pretty sizable … but that way I always have something to post about. 😉
Hi Tony,
I use this for much more global planning, I plan inside my computer once i have ideas that are born.
WordPress drafts folder. I don’t have a clue what that might be. ????
Right near the “Publish” button in WordPress is Save, it basically saves it as a draft post, and doesn’t publish it, so you can keep reviewing/adding/editing and when you’re good and ready, hit Publish 😀
I use it all the time, it’s a great way to avoid hurrying up and posting something, if you’re not happy with it at that point of time.
Oh that! Thanks TechZ!
I just don’t think of that as a folder. 🙂
It’s more like a board or maybe a list to me. There’s the right-brain visual talking . . . . 🙂
Hm, I forgot to say what I watned 😛
As far as capturing ideas when they are formed, I tend to use pen/paper for that, I have 100’s of them strewn around with little tid bits of info I need/want and plan to blog about. Then trusty notepad (the application), sooo many files in notepad I have saved on my desktop/folders.
There’s so much I want to blog about, but so little time to do so really. I’ve been working to somehow balance keeping my blog fresh/updated while being able to do my fulltime job well at teh same time. Let’s see how that goes 🙂
See, Techz, that’s more my style and that’s why I made this form. I wanted to at least have some control and I couldn’t get the discipline of always moving ideas into a book or calendar — those things take up too much room and ideas get used and then they’re gone.
So now I can just write what I need on this. I find it easy because it’s big enough and they’re all the same size. Then when I’m done. I throw them away,
Yep, it seems a rather good idea, so I’ll give it a try and see how well it works for me. thanks!
Could work, Techz.
Might not. We are victims of our habits. At least I am. 🙂
Although I use paper and pencil/pen at times, I agree — we’re all creatures of habit.
And as trendy as, for example, that moleskin pad is, I just am not used to jotting notes in a notebook.
When I’m at home or even at work, there is *always* a wired machine nearby; by keeping something in a ‘drafts’ folder or sitting in my gmail box (starred, ‘natch) this way I’ll never lose that slip of paper and there is always an electronic and searchable way of find that thought. 😉
Perhaps, it says more about my own love of computers than anything else. 🙂
Hi Tony,
That’s it. What works for you doesn’t work for me. Could you tell the rest of the ____ population that? -[fill that in as you see fit]
I lose things on computers and in drawers. I need to watch (literally watch) where I put my keys.
I like to touch the paper and lay things out where I can see them.
My husband wants to pull the icons off my desktop. They are strategically placed in the four corners.
Liz, are we ever really alone if we blog?
In just the last month I’ve begun carrying a calendar sort of thing with me that has lined blank pages for keeping notes too. I keep it on the car seat as I commute so I can jot down ideas at stop lights. I’ve never done anything so organize before, but it’s really helped me in those early hours when I have to write something (anything) before going to work.
But, I love your categories and structure too. I think I’ll print off a few pages and tuck them into the calendar as a supplemental idea.
I can’t thank you enough for your generosity. Thank you!
What a great way to look at things, Katie. That we’re never alone.
In reality we’re all connected. Everything we do or say or write touches other people in some way. Most of the time we hardly notice. Maybe blogging makes some of us more aware. Maybe not. It certainly leaves room for us to think more deeply about things that we choose to think about.
I have to say, I’m loving this idea! I tend to post as I come up with ideas, leaving several days in between post-free as the days get busy, I get distracted, etc. This idea helps me jot down ideas for those busy days in advance, which I can mull over in the back of my brain until they are ready, so even on busy days a coherent post can be made… Great!
Hi Rete,
If you like this, you really should see this post
https://www.successful-blog.com/1/dont-hunt-ideas-be-an-idea-magnet/
It was megga popular!