4 Tips to Take Action on Your Projects in 2022

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very time you open up the app you will see new pins waiting for you.</p><p id="4b94">So naturally, it is much easier to be stuck in this research phase for way too long. The best way for me to get out of this is by not letting myself go to websites like YouTube and Pinterest, where I do a majority of my fake work. I will delete the apps on my phone and iPad and make a conscious effort not to go to these sites on my computer. Doing this allows me to focus on writing a blog post, or working on a project and removes so many distractions. These detoxes can range from a few hours to several days or weeks depending on what I want to work on. The best way to deal with a temptation is to (temporarily) get rid of it.</p><h1 id="1f5f">2. Allow Yourself to Suck</h1><p id="e318">Another battle in sitting down to do the real work is perfectionism. It’s really hard for me to write sometimes because I am subconsciously comparing myself to writers who I admire and have been going at this a lot longer than me. While I can say “don’t compare yourself”, it is hard to do that.</p><p id="d397">A mindset that helps me in this domain comes from Marie Forleo, in this MarieTV episode <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvXcZd5TSQ">“Progress: Why It’s Smart To Start Small and/or Sucky”</a>. Marie shared a story of her first workshop as a life coach, and while the low quality and small attendance can be hard to think about, it propelled her to move forward. She said after this point, she had already done her lamest workshop. I like this story because<b> </b>instead of viewing low-quality work as something we must avoid, Marie, phrases it as a phase that everyone who has ever made anything will inevitably endure so, you might as well get it done now.</p><h1 id="5ba3">3. Block Out Time in Your Schedule</h1><p id="97fa">Putting something in my schedule serves two purposes. First, it gives me a concrete plan for when I will work on my personal projects. It is so e

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asy to get caught up in the spiral of “I don’t have enough time” but, visually seeing your commitments and the hours of a day can help cut through the BS and make it easier to commit to your goals and yourself.</p><p id="ddea">Second, it is motivating to see consistent action turn into steady progress towards my goals. At first, honoring the commitments that I have made to myself is challenging but seeing the progress makes it more exciting to continue working on my goals.</p><p id="5f81">The amount of time does not matter, you can get a lot done in 15 focused minutes, but it is important to choose something that you can stick with. Resolving to write for 2 hours every day when you have not written in several months might not be the best idea.</p><h1 id="a08f">4. Reward Yourself</h1><p id="2a8e">It is crucial to appreciate the hard work you are putting in towards your goals. Especially in moments in which external progress and validation are not super visible, the support and encouragement you provide yourself could be crucial to helping you stick to your projects and goals. Rewarding yourself can look very different for everyone but, here are a few ideas:</p><ul><li>Watch an episode of your favorite show</li><li>Get food from your favorite restaurant</li><li>Do the fake work</li></ul><p id="6c6e">The last suggestion seems contradictory to the whole point of the article as I have been bashing on the endless research/getting inspired phase that many people get stuck in. But inspiration is a critical part of the creative process. Honestly, the fake work is what got you interested in this pursuit and, it can be kind of fun. So enjoy stockpiling resources, watching YouTube videos on your topic of interest, checking out books from your local library, whatever it takes to keep your creative juices flowing.</p><p id="97ea">These are the four tips that I will be using to take more action in 2022, and I hope they helped you out!</p></article></body>

Do the work, not the fake work

I was recently listening to an episode of the Side Hustle Pro podcast by Nicaila Matthews Okome on how to stop procrastinating on a side hustle. One of her tips in the podcast was to “do the work and not the fake work”. In her definition, “the work” helps you make progress, while the “fake work” is the stuff you do to convince yourself you are making progress. Fake work is watching all of the videos on crafting a perfect workout routine, and the work is completing a workout. Theoretically, both are important, but only one of them will help you get fitter.

Fake work is something that I have been doing for years now, I would consume lots of content related to things I wanted to pursue, like starting a blog or YouTube channel, learning design, etc. One of my intentions for 2022 is to take more action and do more of the real work when it comes to pursuing my goals, specifically my personal goals that are fully self-initiated (unlike my commitments for school and work). Here are a few ways that I plan to do this in the coming year.

1. Going on routine digital detoxes

Fake work is so easy is because it is very accessible and low effort. Search for “How to Start a YouTube Channel” on YouTube and, you will receive loads of videos that you can watch one after the other before ever picking up your phone to record something. Once you search for blogging tips a few times on Pinterest, every time you open up the app you will see new pins waiting for you.

So naturally, it is much easier to be stuck in this research phase for way too long. The best way for me to get out of this is by not letting myself go to websites like YouTube and Pinterest, where I do a majority of my fake work. I will delete the apps on my phone and iPad and make a conscious effort not to go to these sites on my computer. Doing this allows me to focus on writing a blog post, or working on a project and removes so many distractions. These detoxes can range from a few hours to several days or weeks depending on what I want to work on. The best way to deal with a temptation is to (temporarily) get rid of it.

2. Allow Yourself to Suck

Another battle in sitting down to do the real work is perfectionism. It’s really hard for me to write sometimes because I am subconsciously comparing myself to writers who I admire and have been going at this a lot longer than me. While I can say “don’t compare yourself”, it is hard to do that.

A mindset that helps me in this domain comes from Marie Forleo, in this MarieTV episode “Progress: Why It’s Smart To Start Small and/or Sucky”. Marie shared a story of her first workshop as a life coach, and while the low quality and small attendance can be hard to think about, it propelled her to move forward. She said after this point, she had already done her lamest workshop. I like this story because instead of viewing low-quality work as something we must avoid, Marie, phrases it as a phase that everyone who has ever made anything will inevitably endure so, you might as well get it done now.

3. Block Out Time in Your Schedule

Putting something in my schedule serves two purposes. First, it gives me a concrete plan for when I will work on my personal projects. It is so easy to get caught up in the spiral of “I don’t have enough time” but, visually seeing your commitments and the hours of a day can help cut through the BS and make it easier to commit to your goals and yourself.

Second, it is motivating to see consistent action turn into steady progress towards my goals. At first, honoring the commitments that I have made to myself is challenging but seeing the progress makes it more exciting to continue working on my goals.

The amount of time does not matter, you can get a lot done in 15 focused minutes, but it is important to choose something that you can stick with. Resolving to write for 2 hours every day when you have not written in several months might not be the best idea.

4. Reward Yourself

It is crucial to appreciate the hard work you are putting in towards your goals. Especially in moments in which external progress and validation are not super visible, the support and encouragement you provide yourself could be crucial to helping you stick to your projects and goals. Rewarding yourself can look very different for everyone but, here are a few ideas:

Watch an episode of your favorite show

Get food from your favorite restaurant

Do the fake work

The last suggestion seems contradictory to the whole point of the article as I have been bashing on the endless research/getting inspired phase that many people get stuck in. But inspiration is a critical part of the creative process. Honestly, the fake work is what got you interested in this pursuit and, it can be kind of fun. So enjoy stockpiling resources, watching YouTube videos on your topic of interest, checking out books from your local library, whatever it takes to keep your creative juices flowing.

These are the four tips that I will be using to take more action in 2022, and I hope they helped you out!