I’ll give more context in a moment, but in case you’re thinking, “April, what are these three criteria?” I want to make sure I cover them right at the beginning.

In order to feel great about doing a project, these three things need to be true for me:

• I am doing the project because I actually want to do it.
• The Next Action is clearly identified.
• I don’t have too much on my plate.

The whole reason I’m talking about this right now is because I have been reading Ali Abdaal’s book, Feel Good Productivity (great read, by the way!), and right at the beginning, he shares why our emotions matter when we’re trying to get things done. Here are a few takeaways from the first few pages of his book:

• “When we’re feeling good, our minds open up, we take in more information, and we see more possibilities around us.” (p.7)
• “When we experience positive emotions, we build up a reservoir of mental and emotional resources that can help us in the future–resources like resilience, creativity, problem-solving skills, social connections, and physical health.” (p.7)
• “Positive emotions change the way our brains operate. Step one is feeling better. Step two is doing more of what matters to us.” (p.8)
• “Feeling good boosts our energy…positive emotions are bound up with a set of four hormones–endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin–which are often labelled as the ‘feel-good hormones’. All of them allow us to accomplish more.” (p.9)
• “Success doesn’t lead to feeling good. Feeling good leads to success.” (p.13)

And while the end goal is not “productivity,” because there is no increase in innate, personal value for whoever accomplishes the most tasks/makes the most money/becomes the most famous, I think we would all agree that life feels happier and more meaningful when we can actually do things that matter to us.

So today I want to dive a little deeper into three of my personal criteria that help me to feel great about my projects.

1: I am doing the project because I actually want to do it.This means that I’m not being a “people pleaser,” the project is in alignment with my values, the project is going to bring me closer to the goals I have set and the person I want to become, and I feel excited about the outcome.

This doesn’t mean that the project is necessarily “fun.” When we needed to refinish our entire main floor because of a water leak, that wasn’t enjoyable, but we wanted to do it. We wanted a leak-free kitchen floor, and we were excited to have our home repaired and back in order.

2: The Next Action is clearly identified.We talk about “Next Actions” all the time around here. It’s an amazing should-have-been-common-sense skill I learned back in 2007/2008 from David Allen, author of Getting Things Done®. Essentially, instead of thinking of a huge project all in one chunk, you think of the next step you could do in 10 minutes or less.

Until I have the Next Action truly identified (so I feel a lift when I think about it), I don’t feel GREAT about a project. In fact, when a nebulous project is floating around in my head–like, “I need to decorate some shelves for the background of our YouTube channel,” I absolutely tend to procrastinate. I’m not a decorator. That process feels stressful to me, and I will put it off forever until I get a simple Next Action figured out. In my case right now, I am going to spend 10 minutes looking online for shelf-decorating ideas, and then I’ll write a list of suggestions to share with our daughter, who is helping me organize and decorate that whole YouTube background.

3: I don’t have too much on my plate.This might sound obvious, but it doesn’t matter how much I want to do a project or how clearly my Next Action is identified. If I have too much on my plate, I will not feel great about that project.

The tricky part here is that sometimes “what we have on our plate” is so hidden from our conscious minds that it takes some sleuthing to actually figure it out. (I’ll link to a recent video I recorded about that in the related links below!)

Celebrations from STEPpers!!And now I want to walk you through a whole series of celebrations we’ve received from our “STEPpers” (members of our Steps to Everyday Productivity program). They are doing incredible work, and I hope you can feel the energy and excitement as you read their stories and see their results!

Related Links!Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Podcast (Ready to Declutter Your Emotions?)

Another CBT Podcast with Guests Mike Christensen and Natalie

The 15 Parts of the Command Central – Podcast (15 Questions to Ask So You Know if You Need One!)

YouTube video to help you figure out how much you actually have on your plate (and make your project list more manageable!)

Ready to join our full Steps to Everyday Productivity program and get all the coaching and support from LearnDoBecome? Click here!

Our ARISE membership – an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 7-day trial here.

LearnDoBecome Content Directory