At the start of a new week, I usually look back on a weekend that had held so many marvelous intentions: to bring to life numerous concepts in my daybooks; to clean and organize my personal space, (aiming for the dream work-from-home nook); and to get ahead with preparations for the work week.
But often when I’ve tried to work on creative projects, I become so overwhelmed with where to begin that I don’t quite attain the productivity I wanted. (I do, of course, very often achieve a very clean floor – it’s remarkable how clean your surroundings can get when you’re attempting to get All the Writing done…)
I think it’s easy to say “just prioritize” when we’re stumped with where to start. But for some of us, especially those of us in the neurodiversity sphere, the “how-to” of prioritizing doesn’t seem very tangible. As someone who manages ADHD while trying to achieve creative output and keep up with the necessities of life, I can attest to the struggles in relation to “prioritizing.”
However, I had a conversation recently with a mentor that clued me in to a term that resonates much more for me than “prioritize.” In so many words, she said:
Prioritization comes from URGENCY.
To me, using an urgency-based task system feels much more real-world and grounded than ordering tasks through “priorities” or “importance.” For the way my mind functions, almost everything I want or need to do feels equally highly important. Spending time with my cats is important so they have a great quality of life. Completing a creative project is important so that my dreams get a chance to live in the world. Paying my bills is important so the lights stay on…
Yet the quality of urgency – to me, this word vibrates with a sense of NOW. Per the Latin etymology, “urgent” carries the meaning of “pressing, insistence.” Thinking in this way better helps me plan what most necessarily needs to happen next for my goals to be achieved. When I comb through my multiple to-do’s, I’m going to make sure I get things done by respecting what is most pressing.
One might, very understandably, associate stress with the idea of urgency, and if it feels at all stressful to you, please only choose a productivity approach that feels right for you!
It’s so important for creators to ensure our visions come forth into reality, and that can involve using as many tools or approaches that feel right for you. How, then, can we make this relationship to urgency doable?
Try asking yourself:
-Which task has an immediate, upcoming due date?
-Which task is preventing me from completing a project?
-Which task has been asked of me by someone who needs my response soon?
-Which task affects my happiness and well-being at this moment, or the happiness and well-being of someone who relies on me?
These thoughts are some possibilities I’ve discovered for myself; perhaps these could help you as well on your unique path to achieving your goals. And I’d love to hear your ideas for what keeps you creatively productive!
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – St. Francis of Assisi
Magdalene Journal 