How often do you take an hour or so and convert all your projects into a larger written plan?
While I don’t have a set interval, looking back through my Moleskine notebooks I write it all down about four times a year. For me this is more than a writing goals exercise. It’s a visualization of how all the pieces fit together. This last incarnation (thanks to my Sketchnotes experience) ended up being the most useful yet, with lots of arrows clarifying the linkages of the many little bits.
While writing in and of itself helps me clarify my thinking the addition of Sketching took the most recent plan to a different level. Not only was the plan more clear to me but as I look back over the last six weeks I see that I have been able to watch it happen.
How you commit your plan to “paper” matters. I’m not saying the Sketchnote approach I’ve taken is the answer for everyone but I can tell you it’s done wonders for me. I listed four projects as the future. Two have been completed and the other two are what I’m currently working on. I found ways to make all the other items on the list “feed the future.”
The exercise helped me identify some square pegs i’ve been trying to fit into round holes in my plan. I’m working to turn a couple of those items into cylinders. The others I’m either not doing anymore or working towards not doing anymore.
Your turn, how to do convert all the little bits and pieces into a big picture that makes sense for you? Meanwhile it’s about time for update my plan.