The Topic Schedule: A Spectacular, Successful Failure

Day One of the topic schedule, and I already hate it.. Down with overly-regimented inspiration-killers! Down with posting schedules!

It seemed like a good idea. Other people publish their blogs on a schedule. Then again, other people manage their lives with calendars, clocks, and traditional to-do lists. I’m not other people, and you probably aren’t, either (or you’d be reading their blog right now, instead of mine)

When I made up that schedule, I forgot almost every thing I’ve learned about how creative people like us think and organize and motivate.

• Inspiration trumps “the shoulds” every time. It makes sense, then, not to focus on what we “should” do, but what we’re inspired to do. Our productivity systems should direct our enthusiasm, not , stop it dead in its tracks.
• Organization is a *TOOL* not an obligation. If a system starts feeling like an obligation instead of an aid, put it down! We wouldn’t hold onto a screw driver when it became clear that what we needed was a saw. (Well, maybe we would, but it’s a wasted, frustrated effort)
• Focus on success. A good organizational/motivational system needs to create more opportunity for simple success, rather than more chances of failure.

In fact - that last point makes me think my approach with the topic-schedule was misguided from the beginning. What I was looking for wasn’t organization at all… but motivation. Motivation for posting every day. Motivation for covering a range of topics.

So it’s into the trash with the schedule, and back to plate-spinning: focussing attention where it needs it, rather than where it’s scheduled.

MindTWEAK: Recognizing failure is a type of success.