Tip: Start Planning the Rest of 2019

2019 is moving fast and many of us still have a list of TODOs longer than a coast to coast train. So what to do? How can I achieve all I want to achieve with the rest of 2019. One word – simplify.

Winnow your list down to the Top 3 items of significance and break your projects down to ‘chunks’ of value.

Here’s an example:

• Write a book – A daunting endeavor indeed. How to get started?

Write a book:

• Finalize topic (Fiction or non-fiction)
• Write outline (How will the book flow from start to finish?)
• Character breakdown (If a fiction book – Who are the people in your book? How will they change – for better or worse – throughout the tale?)
• Writing time (Writing a book requires carving out time to write.

When can you find 30 minutes to start writing. Don’t dwell on every single, minute and minor detail. Get a draft of your book on paper  (notebook or keyboard) and then revise and edit. From my experience, the toughest part isn’t always the first draft, it is the post-draft revising and editing.

Good luck with the rest of 2019. And remember – you can’t do everything in one day. Take the long view and plan out your ‘must do’ projects in simple, straightforward chunks. Carve out time to make progress (some days it will be small) and be satisfied with your daily effort.

Until next time,

Dan Naden