Take "shoulding" out of the project

Have you ever had the thought, "Someone should..."? I used to. Then, I started searching for the answer to this question: "Who is?"



Working here in new York, I do get to see a lot...and, I know I miss a lot too. This isn't a bad thing; in fact, it works in our favor! If you think about focus and productivity, you will quickly realize that there just isn't room in your mental or physical "space" to actually consider it all. So, we have to ignore some things.

So, how do you stop shoulding? Easy, notice what you're shoulding about! Begin by writing (yes, I always promote the process of "getting it out of your mind") down those things that you think really SHOULD be different. Now, what will wind up happening - if you're honest with yourself - is that you'll wind up with 20, 50 maybe even (I've seen it!) over 100 things you think "should" be different.

Included in that list will be things you think you should be doing, things you think you think you should have, or things you think should be happening. Start from there, and try out these three tips.

#1. Put it off...again.
Do you have a calendar (paper or digital) nearby? Good. Go get it and open up to a date AT LEAST 180 days from today. There, about a half-a-year from now, write down what you want to think about...then. Now, you have a reminder of that thing you will want to think about ... in a few months ... that you can just forget about for now. (That "for now" piece is a critical component of this tip.)


#2. Take an action, however small, to begin changing it.
"Jason," you may be saying, "I just can't put this off any longer!" Well, then, get started. Do something small. Buy a book, subscribe to a magazine, register for a class, join a local group/club. Do something with the double purpose of: "Informing" and "Actualizing." You can get the information in, and find some actions to take by looking through the resources you have nearby.

#3. Ask for help, seriously.
Here's a crazy idea: Ask for help. I can tell you story after story of how much time (and money...and energy...) I have saved over the years by letting a small group of people know what I'm working on! I do this via Twitter, my blog, my facebook wall...oh, and by phone, mail, email and in person!

With a little bit of action, you'll find out pretty soon if it's time to take action, or if it's time to let go of that should. Good luck!