Global Creative

We utilize the metaphor of a football field to explore the phenomenon of brain interception and getting to the end of the day with a lot done but not what we intended.

We introduce Search Mode and how to use Simple Mindfulness to manage the search for the winning lottery ticket.

We bring back the fire chief to help us make important distinctions between:

Tracking Opportunities and Chasing ‘Stims’

Exploration and Interruption

Time and Speed

Enjoy

CBG

 

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 This project is not turning out the way I envisioned.  I envisioned a building archive of relevant podcasts, a place of good energy and useful information.  The reality of the situation, presently, is that Globalcreative is looking more like a ghost town.  OK, so the president wont say it but I can say it here - Globalcreative is officially in a recession!

The irony certainly does not escape me. A site for completion not getting any completion.  Hey, I am not above this stuff.  It affects me everyday too.   I want to be clear that I am not seeking any sympathy or helpful hints.  You have your own work to focus on.  The fact of the matter is I do need to do this.  Podcasting for me is a labor intensive effort but with the steep learning curve comes dizzying heights of new perspective.  This experience is good for me.

So, all I can say is that I still like the idea of this podcast service and even though it feels like I put up a vacant sign I want everyone to know I am committed to this process.  I do need to rethink my strategy here but I am confident that in the future my vision of an alive and growing resource for the global creativewill come to fruition.

CBG

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 ”Is my job safe in these uncertain economic times?”

Certainly a question worth asking and yet who has the time to explore this query?

You’ve learned about the pro-active stance of the “fire chief”.  Now we get to put him to use.

Learn about Big Black Holes and what to do about them.

We equip our fire chief with necessary tools to explore pertinent Big Black Holes and we find that they are not Black Holes after all.

 

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A big struggle for most Global-Creatives is managing their attention. In ADHD land we call this distractibility. Trying to make it in our modern hyper-connected world compounds the challenge since everyone and everything is vying for our attention.

The Global part of G-C brain can serve us so well from highly innovative and fresh perspectives to true “out of the box” solutions. Yet that same processing style can make sustained and intentional activity seem like a gargantuan feat that requires vast reserves of energy.

Beyond the executive function challenges explained mostly by ADHD, 2 common beliefs tend to exacerbate the splintering of our attention on a daily basis. The first belief is that multi-tasking is real and that it is beneficial (it is neither. Merlin Mann does a lovely job of busting the Myth of Multi-tasking). The second belief is that we have unlimited reserves of attention to distribute anywhere of our liking. I’ll suggest that what is often overlooked is the fact that we have a finite amount of attention available at any given hour, day or week.

Here is a helpful exercise. Start to view your attention more like something that has a discernable quantity- much like energy or time. Look at your attention like it were an apple pie. Notice what has your attention and how large a slice it gets.

How big a slice is going to the project at the top of your list?

How big a slice is going to checking emails or phone messages?

How big a slice is going toward worrying about a conflict or unfinished task?

How big a slice is going toward that shiny new opportunity?

How often are the slices changing, morphing and disappearing?

Notice if you are actually hunting for distractions.

G-C’s are masterful at delaying the work they really want to be doing. So a first step is to notice where your attention is going.  Reserve judgment and stay curious.  Judgment serves no one but the inner critic and keeps us from valuable learning.

CBG

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I hate gimmicky tricks to fool ourselves into doing something we need to do. Yet the 10 minute rule is one trick that really works. It’s based on the premise that anyone can do anything for 10 minutes.

Many Global Creatives struggle with getting started, especially important but non-urgent actions - the actions that Steven Covey labels Quad II actions in his time management matrix.

The key to the 10 minute rule is that at the 10 minute mark you choose to continue the task or stop the task and pick something else to do. Choice is a powerful tool here and a component of The 4C’s and the Power of Completion (Look for The 4C’s in an upcoming podcast). If the task is still extremely challenging then stop.

How it works

Global Creatives can have difficulty with transitions. There are two parts to any transition - the transition into the task and the transition out. With a glitchy activation for task system, we can really struggle with transitioning into a task - getting started. Once we get started, though, we are OK.  What tends to be missing is a spring board, a place where G-C’s can gain some traction and some initial movement on a task or project. The 10 minute rule serves the purpose of a reliable spring board.

So if you have enlisted the ideas from the podcast and still not getting going then give the 10 minute rule a shot and make space for developing your own rules.

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Inspiration is a great thing.  Waiting for it is not.  In this podcast I talk about what to look for at the beginning of a project to get adequate traction.

We distinguish inspiration and attitude.

We talk about personal priorities or “golden nuggets” and how they never become urgent.

We discuss the posture of waiting and distinguish the perspectives of individuals on either side of a police barricade during a major emergency situation-spectator versus fire chief and why it is a good idea to assume the posture of the fire chief when we view our own projects.

Enjoy!

CBG

 

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The 2nd of our ‘Beginning of the Workday’ misteps.
Global Creatives can struggle to find the brake pedal (difficulty stopping a task) , struggle to find the accelerator (difficulty starting a task), or struggle to find both (transitioning from one task to another).
Our next podcast addresses the misteps we can take in starting a task or project.
Often the Global Creative is waiting for something.
Waiting for the right mood, motivation, inspiration, discipline, vibe, you name it! What we are waiting for rarely comes (except the deadline) and yet we do it again and again.

If you struggle to initiate task, check-in to see if you are waiting for something (BTW, waiter mode is a first cousin to responder mode).
What is it?
What is missing?

Waiting for Inspiration Podcast is next up.
CBG

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The Mission:Impossible Game Plan 

I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise (especially since his Oprah sofa dance) but I did enjoy his Ethan Hunt character in Mission: Impossible.  What I like about Ethan is his propensity to access resources and his ability to develop and execute a realistic plan.  OK, his are not so realistic but the movie serves as a great metaphor.

As I said in the last podcast, Global Creatives can shy away from planning and list making, wanting instead to ‘keep things loose’, spontaneous.  This is understandable.  Lists and plans remind the G-C of structure which can limit mobility and creativity.  A mistep on the G-C’s part is in his definition of structure.  We often see structure as this oppressive, all encompassing, rigid mantle placed upon us by our fifth grade teachers.  “This is the way we should do things!”

G-C’s tend to see things in black and white.  Ideas can present themselves in an “all or nothing” way.  This is a common ADHD challenge related to our challenges around prioritizing (which is seeing shades of grey).  A plan does not have to be “all or nothing”. 

Introducing the Mission:Impossible Game Plan.  Think about what Ethan does with his team. 

• He establishes a simple intention (download the info they need from the top security room deep in CIA headquarters)
• He identifies resources (computer hacker, explosives guy, babe who speaks 5 languages, driver/mechanic)
• They make a plan to accomplish this task
• Ethan focuses on doing jobs in his strength areas relying on others to support him effectively in their strength areas.
• He gets in
• He executes the plan (with some improvisation)
• He gets out.

G-C’s often struggle to execute the intended plan.  They can lose their way getting distracted or interested in a new input or opportunity.

An intention needs an entry point, a defined job and an exit strategy.  The key to Ethan’s success is that he gets out!

What does this mean?  He gets a completion.

So try this strategy this week and see what happens.

Pick a small task important to you, establish a simple intention, identify resources, make a plan, get in, execute the plan, get out.

You’ll have a completion under your belt in the early part of the day so you can focus on responding to pressing needs for the rest of the day (responder mode) knowing you have moved something important to you forward.

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The fall out from a common mistep : Operating Without a Plan

Three traps- overwhelm, underwhelm and responder mode

Strategies and exercises to get traction on the Steven Covey Quad II items.

The challenges we face from the three types of work defined by David Allen.

Enjoy

CBG

 

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There are many misteps and traps that can derail a promising day. For Global-Creatives, two in particular are highly problematic-operating without a plan and waiting for inspiration to start work. This week’s podcast (due out in a couple days) focuses on these two in particular.

Operating without a Plan

Many Global Creatives can shy away from planning and list making, wanting instead to ‘keep things loose’, spontaneous. This is understandable. Lists and plans remind the G-C of structure which can limit mobility and creativity. A mistep on the G-C’s part is in his definition of structure. We often see structure as this oppressive, all encompassing, rigid mantle placed upon us by our fifth grade teachers. “This is the way we should do things!”

G-C’s tend to see things in black and white. Ideas can present themselves in a “all or nothing” way. This is a common ADHD challenge related to our challenges around prioritizing (which is seeing shades of grey).

A realistic plan that is simple and accessible can work for a G-C.

Waiting for inspiration to start work

Getting traction to initiate task can be also challenging for the G-C. We will often wait for motivation or “the time is right” to begin a task. Global-Creatives house a glitchy transmission. We push on the accelerator and the engine revs but the car doesn’t move. A result is hours of unproductive AM time.

Some questions to ask this week

Are my daily plans realistic?

How often do items rollover from one day to the next?

How do I typically start tasks?

How often do I wait till the last minute to start a project?

This week notice what you do at the beginning of your workday that helps with traction. Also notice what you do to delay the start of the work you really have to do.

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