Determine which projects are most important and time-sensitive.
Focus on One Major Project at a Time:
Choose one major project to focus on, such as finishing your novel or expanding your blog, and dedicate specific time to it each week.
Set Realistic Goals and Deadlines:
Break Down Large Tasks: Divide large projects into smaller, manageable tasks.
Set Specific, Achievable Deadlines: Assign deadlines to each task to create a sense of urgency and structure.
Create a Schedule:
Allocate Dedicated Time Slots: Set aside specific times each day or week for different projects.
Use a Planner or Digital Calendar: Keep track of your schedule and deadlines to stay organized.
Overcoming Procrastination
Address Self-Doubt:
Acknowledge Your Accomplishments: Remind yourself of your successes and the progress you’ve made.
Seek Feedback: Share your work with trusted colleagues or friends for constructive feedback to boost your confidence.
Minimize Distractions:
Create a Productive Workspace:
Find a quiet, organized space to work on your projects.
Limit Social Media and Unnecessary Interruptions: Use apps or tools to block distracting websites during your work sessions.
Use Productivity Techniques:
Pomodoro Technique: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat this cycle to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
Time Blocking: Dedicate specific blocks of time to different tasks throughout the day.
Consistency and Motivation
Establish Routines:
Morning or Evening Routines: Incorporate your projects into your daily routines, whether it’s early in the morning or after your workday.
Daily Writing Habit: Set a specific time each day for writing or working on your blog.
Stay Accountable:
Find an Accountability Partner: Share your goals with a friend or colleague who can check in on your progress.
Join Writing or Project Groups: Participate in groups or forums related to your interests for support and motivation.
Reward Yourself:
Celebrate Small Wins: Reward yourself for completing tasks and reaching milestones.
Balance Work and Personal Life: Ensure you have time for relaxation and activities you enjoy to avoid burnout.
By prioritizing your projects, setting realistic goals, and creating a structured schedule, you can manage your workload more effectively and make consistent progress. Remember to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your achievements along the way.
I will admit, I really struggle with productivity in winter. This winter, especially, I’ve been dealing with an ongoing feeling of exhaustion and a lack of focus. The cold weather and shorter days take a toll on my energy levels and motivation, leaving me feeling drained and unproductive. From talking to my fellow teachers, writers, and parents, I know I’m not alone.
However, I have many goals I want to accomplish and projects I need to get started, so I realize I need to kick things into gear and try to get more done. I’ve been doing a lot of reading, research, and experimentation in this area and having finally found a few strategies that are working well for me.
Create a Comfortable Workspace(THIS ONE IS HUGE FOR ME): Your environment plays a significant role in your productivity levels. Create a workspace that is conducive to focus and concentration, free from distractions and clutter. Surround yourself with elements that inspire and uplift you, whether it’s a scented candle, a favorite plant, or soothing instrumental music. By curating a comfortable and inviting space, you can enhance your productivity and motivation, even on the dreariest of days.
Embrace the Season: Rather than resisting the winter blues, embrace the unique opportunities it offers. Winter is a time for introspection and self-care. Take advantage of the cozy ambiance to indulge in activities that nourish your mind and body, such as reading by the fireplace, enjoying warm cups of tea, or taking long walks in the snow-covered landscapes. Cultivate a mindset of acceptance towards the season, recognizing it as a time for rest and renewal.
Set Realistic Goals: In the midst of fatigue and burnout, it’s essential to set realistic and manageable goals for yourself. Break down your tasks into smaller, achievable milestones, and prioritize them based on importance and urgency. By setting clear objectives, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and maintain a sense of progress, no matter how small.
Practice Self-Care: Self-care is crucial for maintaining overall well-being, especially during the winter months. Prioritize activities that rejuvenate your body and mind, such as getting enough sleep, eating nourishing foods, and engaging in regular exercise. Take breaks throughout the day to stretch, meditate, or simply breathe deeply. By prioritizing self-care, you can replenish your energy reserves and combat the effects of burnout.
Manage Your Energy: Recognize that your energy levels fluctuate throughout the day, and plan your tasks accordingly. Identify your peak hours of productivity and tackle your most demanding tasks during these times. Break up your workday with periodic breaks to prevent fatigue and maintain focus. Experiment with different productivity techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time-blocking, to find what works best for you.
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a powerful tool for combating distraction and enhancing focus. Take a few moments each day to practice mindfulness meditation, focusing your attention on the present moment and observing your thoughts without judgment. Cultivate a mindset of mindfulness in your daily activities, whether it’s savoring a warm cup of cocoa or engaging fully in a work task. By practicing mindfulness, you can train your mind to stay present and attentive, even amidst the winter doldrums.
Seek Support: I really struggle with this and I have to admit that I don’t really follow it as often as I should. However, this strategy comes highly recommended from almost every source I read. So don’t hesitate to reach out for support when you’re feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. Whether it’s talking to a trusted friend, seeking guidance from a mentor, or consulting a mental health professional, reaching out for support can provide valuable perspective and assistance. Remember that you’re not alone in facing the challenges of productivity and burnout, and there are resources available to help you navigate through them.
Keep in mind that even the smallest amount of progress is cumulative, so be kind to yourself. I hope this season be a time of transformation and resilience for all of us!
Happy New Year! I hope you are having a restful holiday and I wish you all the best for the new year.
I’ve recently discovered a simple practice that has the potential to shape the entire year—choosing a Word of the Year.
The idea is elegantly straightforward: select a single word that encapsulates the essence of what you want to manifest in the coming year. This word becomes your guiding light, a beacon that directs your focus, shapes your priorities, and fuels your journey. Some examples include: Renewal, Growth, Resilience, Balance, Harmony, or Transformation, but the posibilities are endless. You could even brainstorm by making lists or a word web before settling on your word.
The benefits of this practice are far-reaching. At the end of this post I’ll share the word I’ve chosen, why I’ve chosen it, and how I plan to use it to focus my goals. I will also invite you to share your word.
Here are some examples of how a single word might impact your year:
Renewal: A Fresh Start
“Every morning brings new potential, but only if you take the first step.”
Choosing ‘Renewal’ as your Word of the Year is an invitation to embrace fresh beginnings. It’s a commitment to shedding the old, obsolete layers and stepping into a revitalized version of yourself. This year, make it your mission to approach each day with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.
Growth: Cultivating Your Potential
“Like a tree, your growth is not defined by imperfections, but by the strength to keep reaching for the sun.”
Opting for ‘Growth’ signifies an unwavering commitment to personal and professional development. It’s about expanding your horizons, stepping out of your comfort zone, and allowing yourself the space to flourish. Cultivate the mindset of a lifelong learner, and watch as your world expands in ways you never thought possible.
Resilience: Bouncing Back Stronger
“In the face of adversity, resilience is your greatest ally.”
Resilience, your chosen word, becomes a source of strength when faced with challenges. Life is unpredictable, but your response to adversity is within your control. This year, let ‘Resilience’ be your armor, helping you bounce back from setbacks and emerge stronger than ever before.
Balance: Nurturing Harmony Within Chaos
“In the dance of life, find your rhythm and savor the harmony.”
‘Balance’ is a powerful word that resonates with the need to harmonize the various facets of your life. Juggling work, relationships, and personal well-being can be challenging, but by choosing ‘Balance,’ you commit to finding equilibrium. Strive to allocate time and energy to each aspect of your life, creating a symphony of fulfillment.
Harmony: Creating Synchronicity
“In the orchestra of life, let harmony be the melody that guides your actions.”
Selecting ‘Harmony’ is an acknowledgment of the interconnectedness of your goals and values. It’s about aligning your actions with your beliefs, fostering positive relationships, and creating a cohesive narrative for your life. Allow ‘Harmony’ to guide your decisions, bringing a sense of unity to your journey.
Transformation: Embracing Evolution
“To transform is to evolve; embrace the journey of becoming who you are meant to be.”
‘Transformation’ is a bold choice, representing the profound shifts you aspire to make. This word calls for embracing change, challenging the status quo, and evolving into the best version of yourself. Let ‘Transformation’ be the catalyst for growth and the driving force behind your pursuit of excellence.
How to Harness the Power of Your Word:
Reflect: Take a moment to reflect on the past year—its triumphs, challenges, and the lessons learned. Identify the themes or aspirations that resonate with where you are now and where you want to go.
Choose with Intention: Select your Word of the Year with purpose. It should be a word that inspires you, resonates with your goals, and encapsulates the essence of what you want to achieve. Trust your instincts; the right word will find you.
Visualize: Create a visual representation of your word. This could be a vision board, a piece of art, or simply a written statement. Place it where you’ll see it daily, serving as a constant reminder of your focus and aspirations.
Incorporate into Goal Setting: Align your goals with your chosen word. If ‘Growth’ is your word, set specific objectives that contribute to your personal and professional development. Let your word inform the direction of your goals.
Check-In Regularly: Regularly revisit your Word of the Year. Consider how it’s influencing your decisions, actions, and overall mindset. Use it as a touchstone to ensure alignment with your aspirations.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate the progress you make throughout the year. Small victories are stepping stones to more significant achievements. Celebrate your journey and the person you are becoming.
Embrace the power of your chosen word, and watch as it transforms your year into a masterpiece of growth, resilience, balance, harmony, and, ultimately, transformation. This is your year—empower it with intention, purpose, and the transformative energy of your chosen word.
For my word of the year, I’ve chosen ABUNDANCE. For the past two years I’ve felt the constant constriction of LACK. Lack of time, lack of energy, lack of money. I’m determined this year to focus on what I WANT, not what don’t want.
Abundance means and abudance of time, energy, happiness, money, contentment, ideas, creativity, memories, and love.
If you share your word in the comments, I will create a custom blog post in the next week based on your word, sharing images, thoughts, ideas, and resources based on your word. I will also spend time each month revisiting my word and how it is impacting my year.
I have been giving a lot of thought to the idea of mindsets and why they are so important.
A mindset refers to a set of beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that shape the way an individual perceives and interprets the world around them. It is essentially a mental framework or lens through which people view situations, make decisions, and respond to challenges. Mindsets can influence various aspects of life, including how individuals approach learning, handle setbacks, pursue goals, and interact with others.
For example, I was recently reading advice about fitness and nutrition, and it recommended visualing yourself as a fit, healthy person when making choices about what to eat. In other words, instead of thinking about having a list of restrictions (“I can’t have these french fries.”), think of yourself as a fit, healthy person who doesn’t eat french fries (“I don’t eat french fries.”) This may seem like silly semantics, or word games, but research shows it really works.
One of my most popular posts is The Creator Mindset, in which I discuss what it means to think like a content creator and develop a creator mindset. I’ve become convinced that changing your mindset is the most effective way to achieve your goals. Here is why mindsets are more important than goals.
A Creator Mindset:
ImprovesResilience: Having the right mindset helps build resilience by encouraging you to see challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement. Instead of being discouraged by obstacles, those with a growth mindset are more likely to persevere and find solutions.
Embraces Learning and Development: A mindset shift towards growth fosters a love for learning. Instead of fearing failure, individuals with a growth mindset view it as a natural part of the learning process. This mindset encourages continuous improvement and development over time.
Increases Motivation and Effort: A belief that effort leads to improvement is a core aspect of a growth mindset. This perspective can increase motivation and effort, as individuals understand that their actions have a direct impact on their abilities and success.
Adapts to Change: In a rapidly changing world, adaptability is a valuable trait. A growth mindset facilitates adaptability by promoting openness to new ideas, experiences, and challenges. It allows individuals to see change as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat.
Enhances Self-Reflection: Changing your mindset involves becoming more aware of your beliefs and attitudes. This increased self-awareness allows for more effective self-reflection, enabling individuals to identify and challenge limiting beliefs that may be hindering their progress.
Leads to Long-Term Success: While setting goals is important, a fixed mindset can limit one’s ability to achieve those goals. A growth mindset, on the other hand, supports the sustained effort and learning required for long-term success. It’s not just about achieving specific goals but about continuously evolving and reaching new heights.
Over time, I have done a great deal of research into the concept of mindset, beginning with the work I did while earning my doctorate in Education and Curriculum Design, in which I learned how to motivate learners without using the traditional (and ineffective) cycle of punishments and external rewards. Once I realized the impact that developing a resilient mindset had on student motivation, I began turning those tools toward myself, working with a success coach, taking courses, and reading books that provided me with the insight and methods needed to be successful. After putting together a system that worked for me, I decided to develop the Creator Mindset course to share that system with you. I’ll be launching in early January. Here is a sneak peak of the course content:
If you’re already a content-creator or want to be one, this course will catapult you to the next level. If you’re a writer, teacher, or student, you will also find this course helpful for improving your motivation, outlook, and results.
Developing a creator mindset is about creating a foundation for achieving goals more effectively. A positive and growth-oriented mindset can serve as a powerful catalyst for personal and professional development, enabling individuals to navigate challenges, learn from experiences, and achieve sustained success.
If you’re interested in learning more about how developing the right mindset can be a powerful tool for achieving your goals, be sure to subscribe to ELA Source by entering your email below. As always, I NEVER share your email with anyone, and I don’t spam your inbox.
Too often, we set goals based on outcomes that we can’t control:
-Lose 10 lbs in a month -Earn an extra $1,000 a month -Sign a book contract with a major publishing company -Get married -Get a dream job
The problem with goals like this is that they rely on factors outside of our control. Having goals like this can lead to frustration, resentment, and heartbreak. We shouldn’t put our happiness into other people’s hands, making our version of success dependent on other people’s decisions.
The best we can do is to do our best. Create goals around EFFORT rather than specific achievements. Instead of setting a goal to lose 10 lbs, set a goal to track your meals for 30 days. Or take a walk every day for 30 days. No matter what, you will have created a healthy habit, and you WILL feel better at the end of that month. If you tie your goal to losing 10 lbs. in that same 30 days, you are likely to give up and start laying on the couch stuffing your face once you realize you’ll never achieve your goal (I speak from experience, ha ha).
Recently, I finally finished a novel. My goal was to finish (it took me 10 years), and now my goal is to start sending it out to agents to see if I can get representation. However, my goal is NOT agent representation. That is out of my control. My goal is to send out at least one query letter a week. I plan to do this for one year, for a total of 50 queries, and then I will investigate ways to self-publish. I just want people to read my writing. I want to build consistent writing habits and enjoy the writing process. I have zero control over whether or not somebody out there likes my book. All I can do is focus on writing more, improving my writing, and sending my book out for feedback.
Start making EFFORT related goals (what steps can you take to improve) rather than OUTCOME related goals (relying on the decisions of another person).
ELA Source 
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