Oranges, Rabbits & Ice Skating: 3 Ways to Change Your Energy and Get More Done!
I haven’t written a blog post in a while. I haven’t felt focused enough to settle down and finish the several posts I have started, and have been bouncing around from one to the next, not really accomplishing much.
My good friend and accountability partner, Doug Wagner, President of Sunwapta Solutions, suggested I write something light. He recommended not to try to go in too many directions; it would be like squeezing an uncut orange, the juices going everywhere.
In truth, I haven’t felt the juices flowing enough to squeeze out a full post, much less the rest of one. Instead, my mindset has been that of a stale, dried-up orange.
Then I thought about business. How we sometimes lose our focus and spin our wheels, never feeling accomplished, and left with a lingering dissatisfaction about where we are going.
My acupuncturist calls it rabbit energy – jumping from one thing to another — which may feel productive as you are “touching” a lot of points in your business, but you probably aren’t doing any of them well. This is the mode in which most mistakes happen.
While she was expertly poking needles into my elbows, hands, forehead and feet, (no it doesn’t hurt) we talked about what calm, smooth energy would feel like and decided on an ice skater gliding effortlessly from task to task.
In order to accomplish moving from frantic to smooth, I knew I had to change my mindset on how I approached my writing, work, and, if I am honest with myself, life.
Here are 3 Ways to Change Your Energy and Get More Done
Take a Stab at it – You Can Adjust if Necessary
Dixie Gillaspie, my very wise business coach and editor suggested to write sloppy, then go back and edit and clean it up later. Do a brain dump and get it on the paper. This is true with ideas for marketing and sales plans too, and the theory behind brainstorming sessions. All ideas are put forth. Often what results is a springboard effect with one idea bouncing off another. No wait, one idea gliding after another. Ahh, much better!
Eliminate Distractions
I can’t write when the TV is on, but music playing in the background is ok. Phone calls throw off my train of thought and social media, especially Facebook is a tempting siren. Know what works for you and what doesn’t and commit to a structured time block focussing on just one thing. Instead of trying to jump around and handle everything at once, pick one task and set a timer to work on it so that you can feel a sense of accomplishment. If you get in the groove and have the time to extend your focus, then do it!
Find a Human Trampoline
No, don’t jump on someone, but have a creative partner to bounce ideas off to get the ball (or orange) rolling. You may want to find an accountability partner and set goals and timelines. As Doug and I were discussing our orange analogy, we both ended up with something to show for it. You can read Doug’s creative post here.
Hey look, I just wrote a blog post! Orange ya glad I did! Yeah, I know – you’re probably groaning at the bad pun, but I’m suddenly smiling, feeling juicy and energized. Time to tackle those writing projects, one at a time!
Photo Credits: Flickr (Pietro Izzo,