Highs Below Zero

You were in a rut. You are not anymore. You are now drawing circles. It’s not the same; it’s the cycle.

With your finger, a pencil, a stylus, you are tracing curves, starting and finishing, thinking about beginnings, endings, and the middles that connect them.

Creation is a procedure, a process, a step and a step and a step.

Step One is identifying Step Two.

Step Two is about getting to Step Three.

Step Three is actually Step Four. You made a mistake earlier. You thought Step Three was Step Two. You wrote it that way. That’s fine. It’s your process.

You are drawing a circle.

Beginning. End. Middle.

End. Beginning. Middle.

Get to work.

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I want to quit using numbers to identify steps. There are infinite numbers and my time is limited.

Will try A to Z. Better for my brain.

The Z to A to Z to A Project Map

Z: Zzzz – Archive

Archive what you want to keep for future use.

Move on to the next project.

A: Assess

Identify the project.

>Identify the problem

[I need to make a procedure for finishing projects]

>Figure out what you are making (how would you archive it for Z)

[A blog post? Or a… procedure for my binder. And a TXT file, archived to my Freelance Projects folders

A fillable template!!!]

>What should M be?

>What should Q be?

>What’s B?

B: Boss

Organizing.

If starting: Start, End, Middle, fill in gaps. Work as you go. Imperfect & done is best.

If ending: File “Z – FILENAME” and go to Z

If mid: Jump around!

C: Craft

Set SMART GOALS

What are you making?

[This list is a guide to shipping projects.]

What’s the finish line?

[Posting the Guide.]

Are you there yet? Why not?

[No – still filling in gaps]

[Almost ready to post! Review.]

[Also, when I started, it was a blog post, now it’s a template. Will have to make a template another time. Next: Template!]

D: Define Done

What is “done” here?

[Review: Would a newcomer like it? Would a fan? Do I like it?]

[Archive: Template saved to my personal files, post shared to the blog.]

E: Edit

Cut, add, cut, modify, cut.

L: Let Go

Set it on its way.

M: Midway

Over the hump! The hardest part is done.

What’s the midpoint of [“a guide to shipping projects”]?

[Getting to M is the midway. We are there, yay!]

What’s holding you back from hitting send?

N: No Rest for the Wicked

What else did you miss? Go back through A-M. Then go through O to Z. What’s missing?

[Post Settings; Review]

O: Draw a circle.

For later use. Make a checkbox and get ready to check it.

[For me, this is creating a calendar event and marking it “red”)

P/Q: Pitching/Questions

“What is it?” Be ready to answer this quickly and with enthusiasm, as well as other sales questions.

[Z to A to Z to A: An Almost Alphabetical Guide to Finishing Your Projects. It’s a project map template for me, by me.]

R: Review

Reread with fresh eyes. Be critical. Read it like you don’t know who wrote it, like a newcomer, and like a fan. Fix details.

S: Send

Press the button.

What’s stopping you from hitting send?

Go to M

X: Declare the project “finished.”

See “finish line” in C & D.

You have arrived at your destination. Fill in the circle you started in O. Check the box. Turn the red notification green.

All that’s left is clewing up.

Y: Why?

Why did I make this? Self-reflection journal. (Optional.)

Z: Zzzz – Archive

Archive what you want to keep for future use.

Create a FILE NAME. Save it.

Move on to the next project.

A: Assess

Identify the project.

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Notes to My Future Self

Session 1: Started Template. Wrote intro, then started alphabet section. Went like this: A, B, Z, M, Y, X, Q. Didn’t plan it this way, just happened.

Session 2: C, L, N, E, S, R, D, O. Editing. Set O.

Session 3: Close read/review. Posting. Archiving pending.

Lots of cuts & rejigging, but note I started with beginning, middle, end.

The middles are the work.

It’s fleshing out the circle. That’s the advantage actuality has over theory, the line has over the word. Beginning, middle, end. It follows a clear, chronological, direct path.

My mind doesn’t. Maybe yours doesn’t, either. Maybe somehow it’s gotten better. Stranger things in heaven and earth.

But if it hasn’t gotten better, if the bees are still buzzing — hope this helps.

Good luck.

V