Reverb 10 Prompt (from Scott Belsky): When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?
Ah yes. Action. Where the rubber meets the road. Gittin’ er dun. Walkin’ the talk. Okay, I’ll stop.
Aspirations? Got a lot of ’em, and I’ve been talking some of them up for years. This blog is a testament to the talkie talk. Here I’ve documented the deep insights, made the grand proclamations, and yes, occasionally taken some baby steps. But I should be on the run and half-way home by now with some of these things. No excuses, really. I am where I am because I did what I did. In fact, one of best things I did do this year was to drop the to-do list in favor of the done-did list. I done-did this for about a four month period, and it was quite illuminating. Basically I just wrote down on my calendar at the end of each day what I actually did in support of realizing my aspirations. The results for the first month were shocking. Had you asked me beforehand what I did week in and week out, I would’ve told you in all honesty things like: I exercise at least three times a week; I meditate about every other day; I practice Spanish probably two or three times a week; blog once a week almost like clockwork; pump out a new song at least once a month; and on and on. Turns out I was full of shit. The done-did list doesn’t lie. I set the criteria in advance. An unbroken stretch of thirty minutes was the absolute minimum for any given activity to count. The done-did list didn’t lie, but apparently I did, to myself and to everyone else. I was seriously stunned to discover just how much I over-estimated my productivity. Having the objective data to consult each week created a positive feedback loop, and by month four I was exceeding my productivity goals on all fronts. Anyway, it was a helpful exercise… See how I like to keep talking! On to the next steps:
Aspiration: To make a living doing something I’m truly passionate about.
Next steps: 1) Finish website; 2) Set up coffee meet-ups with people in my area who do the type of work I want to do, even though most of them are women (see #9 on my 11 Things list).
Aspiration: To do proper recordings of all the half-baked song ideas stored on the hundred or so cassette tapes I have boxed up.
Next steps: 1) Finish digitizing cassettes to computer; 2) Develop one idea over the course of each week and record a solid demo by Sunday night. [And 3) Stop coming up with new songs, or else I’ll need several lifetimes to get it all done!]
Aspiration: To complete the several writing projects I’ve started.
Next steps: 1) Set up file system on computer to organize what I’ve got so far; 2) Write outlines for each project; 3) Make set time every week for writing and write something during that time, no matter what!
Aspiration: Don’t get fired from my day job just yet.
Next step: 1) Stop spending half of the work day on Reverb 10!
I love this idea and I think it will be really helpful for me when I head into unemployement and start working on other projects. I am implementing this for sure! Thanks for the insight.
Done-did lists? Genius and thus I dub you my new Interwebz husband. Your first aspiration is something I have longed for for so long that I almost don’t know how to articulate it anymore. This coming year, I HAVE to do something about it. Have to.
I love the idea of a done-did list! That’s fantastic. I also love the last aspiration on your list – I have the same problem, although replace “get fired from day job” with “flunk out of university.”
I done-did got it. Great idea. For a week or two I used to write down everything I did in a day because I didn’t think I was doing Anything. Ha. I’d fill the page up every night. This is a much more meaningful twist, and will help me with the overwhelm that to-do lists create. Thanks!
This is a wonderful idea. Though I already know I’m not as productive as I could be, this would be infinitely better than a “to do” list. Those things are not good for me, because they quickly transform into a paralyzing guilt pile. I’m going to give it a shot–thanks!
YEP- me too “Aspiration: Don’t get fired from my day job just yet.
Next step: 1) Stop spending half of the work day on Reverb 10! “
You know, I used to have a done-did. I was really devoted to it for two years, had a great planner that I used to write things down after I was done with them. (For me, the tactile experience of handling that paper and leather was something I looked forward to.) And then, I went through a slump. I had, like, nothing to write there. And I stopped writing in it completely. So dumb. And it’s not a surprise that the slump never went away, because I stopped being confronted with it.
Btw… did you notice that we’re all girls… just saying :)
So… yeah, I’m going to confess something here: I sometimes write things I’ve already done and sprinkle them throughout my “To Do” list just so I can cross them off. I also put things on the calendar that I did on days that have already passed, just to make it look like I’m busy or really have done things. Pathetic? Maybe. Done-did? Yup! You’ve given me a new way of looking at things sans guilt; thank you;) Now I’m gonna’ go out there and head the gong, dude. And then write it down, and cross it off.
@Brooke Farmer: Cool!
@Stereo: “new Interwebz husband” – And to think, we just became friends a couple of days ago! And I have absolute faith you WILL do something about “it.” Your own “Action” post made that pretty clear!
@kteelee: Yeah, Reverb 10 is cool and all, but that degree would be nice too!
@ Creatively Sensitive & @AnnMarie: Great! I hope you enjoy done-doing it!
@Shannon: But then again, @Brooke Farmer dumped her job and now she’s on fire about life. Maybe we need to show her some solidarity…
@Kim: YOU in a slump? Hard to imagine. And yeah, those tactile joys are going the way of the dodo in this digital age. I’m about to order a really nice new planner for the coming year. Calendars on the computer just don’t cut it.
@Creatively Sensitive: Ha! Yeah, I couldn’t help but notice that little detail. Looks like my fears were unfounded. Or else I’m just a big flirt. Probably a little of both.
@Emily: Pathetic? No way! I have done (and still do!) the exact same thing! We gotta do what we gotta do in order to feel good about what we do do. “Head the gong!” Hell yeah! But that one goes on the top of tomorrow’s list as soon as it gets crossed off today’s!
I love your idea of a done-did list! I keep my to-do lists around for a bit, and they’re nice to look at a few days after, but to see a whole month laid out would be really useful!
Goof luck with your aspirations! :)
@Aba: Thanks! I enjoyed my visit to your blog.
This is great. I can so relate to the fear of getting fired from spending too much time on this Reverb10 thing!
@Abby: Seriously, I don’t think I can keep going at this pace. My right arm is actually sore from using the computer mouse too much!