Pattern Interrupt » brainstorm

Cutting Success to Pieces, An Ode to Pie

Lira — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:47:23 +0000

After you’ve decided to fix something that’s fucked messed up and you’ve figured out a goal that aligns with your passions and your purpose, then it’s time to get into some details about exactly how you want to create this change.

Where’s My Pie?

Consider the goal you created as a Pie In The Sky (mmm pumpkin pie). Most people don’t ever get to eat that pie because when they first try, they realize that it’s really hard to swallow in one big bite. I remember watching my Grandmother cook Thanksgiving pumpkin pie when I was a kid. I wanted some pie, but I wasn’t allowed to use a knife, so I tried to sneak a bite by sticking my whole hand into the middle. Needless to say I got caught and didn’t get any pie at all (until my Mom snuck me a piece right before bed). But I learned that in order to eat pie in polite company, I needed to slice it into pieces first.

So, let’s consider something a bit radical. (it’s not really radical, I just like saying radical because it sounds exciting, wooo wooo) Let’s cut your goal into 3, 4 or 5 more manageable pieces. That way, you can actually fit the pie in your mouth, a piece at a time, and get plenty of great tasting cinnamon pumpkin filling (ie rewards & feedback) with each bite.

Now this doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily eat one piece of pie and then eat another piece of pie sequentially. As a child, if you put three pieces of pie in front of me, then I would eat some of each piece and hence claim them all as mine (I really like pumpkin pie okay!) I might take a bite from each piece or take two bites from this piece and three bites from that piece. But the point is that the pie, and your goal, is now more adaptable to your capabilities. You can eat whichever piece is more appealing to you (or work on whatever focus area seems most important in this moment) and then switch to a different piece if you get bored.

Bake Your Pie According To The Recipe

Pull out your goal statement (you can create one using the process here) which should include what you want to change (your problem statement) and a listing of the key reasons why it’s important to you. As a reminder, here’s mine…

PROBLEM: I’m constantly disappointed that I’ve never written or published a single fictional story even though my mind is constantly filled, to the point of swirling insanity, with new characters, new plots, and new book ideas.

GOAL: My life is truly awesome because I create an abundant living by writing and publishing amazing and wonderful stories that help people experience an authentic, sensual, and playful world in their imagination and in their real life.

KEY REASONS:

The fictional stories in my head could help me connect with, entertain, and teach a lot of people.
I want the world to know that their life can be authentic, sensual, playful, and amazing.
I want to share the power of imagination and creative expression to change peoples lives inside and out.
I might actually explode if I don’t tell my fictional stories to the people who truly need to hear them.

Find a Good Sharp Knife

So using your key reasons and your intuition as guideposts, define 3-5 focus areas that can help you reach your goal. These could be milestones, important accomplishments, or just the fun things you want to experience along the way.

Again, I’m using my life as a guinea pig so here’s my top three focus areas

Write some awesome stories (novels, novellas, short stories, oh my!)
Get published somewhere, anywhere (oh god, oh god, oh god – I’m scared)
Connect with other fiction writers to encourage me & help me succeed (I love making new friends – whew)
Connect with fiction readers so I can write the stories they want to hear (and that I want to write)

Cut Your Pie Into Convenient Size Pieces

Next, take 10 minutes and brainstorm (bubbling or cloudstorm) actions that will help you reach your goal within each of these focus areas. You don’t have to know the exact path to success, you are just looking to define the next few steps. So, write down anything that comes to mind without worrying about the time or effort required.

For example, here’s a few actions I came up with during my brainstorming…

write a bunch of short stories (#1)
read a book on story arc development (#1)
complete a class on getting fiction published which includes mentoring & submitting my work (#2)
subscribe to fiction writing & publishing blogs (#2)
follow published fiction authors on twitter & talk to them (#3)
choose, contact & meet a writing mentor (#3)
join a readers community & participate in discussions (#4)

Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings. ~C.D. Jackson

Eat Pie Now or Eat Pie Later?

To determine which actions will be part of your initial pattern interrupt, consider which ones you can do in less than a 2 hour window, and which actions will take a little more time. Simply separate them into Setup actions and Maintenance actions. Again, use your intuition as well as your logic. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself and have a failed Setup Session simply because you tried to do too much.

So here’s how I separated mine…

start writing one short story – Setup
write a bunch more short stories – Maintenance
Buy a book on story arc development – Setup
Finish reading a book on story arc development – Maintenance
Sign Up for an online fiction publishing class – Setup
complete a class on getting fiction published – Maintenance
subscribe to fiction writing & publishing blogs – Setup
Find published authors on twitter – Setup
talk to published authors on twitter – Maintenance
choose & contact a writing mentor – Setup
meet a writing mentor – Maintenance
join a readers community – Setup
participate in a reading community discussion – Maintenance

Serves One

In the next article, I’ll define exactly how to complete the Pattern Interrupt Setup so that you feel supported and inspired to accomplish your goals and make the changes that you want to make in your life. In the meantime, if you are feeling excited to get a jump on things, take any of the Setup actions you defined above and do them. I promise, nobody is going to punish you and send you to bed without Your Slice of Pie.

Besides, we’re so close to making a huge change I can almost taste it (or is that MY piece of pumpkin pie?)

Does your goal seem easier now that it’s cut into bite size chunks? How else do you categorize your important actions? Share your ideas in the comment section!

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Make Decisions the Way Mother Goose Taught You

Lira — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:18:29 +0000

Sometimes its hard to make the right decision. You’re afraid to take a step forward and make a big mistake. You don’t want to waste the time and effort trudging down the wrong path. You search and search for the RIGHT answer but you end up with more indecision than you started with. Plus, the situation keeps changing. The path you were 75% sure of three days ago has completely changed and now you’re back to a 50/50 chance of picking the right way. Or worse. You find yourself in an endless circle of doubt….

“Ring Around the Rosies
Pockets Full of Posies
Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.” -Mother Goose

The truth is that many people get seriously stuck when making a decision. And when they finally do decide, they end up picking something based on emotion and then trying to rationalize the decision with logic.

So how can you circumvent the desire for instant gratification and still make the right decision?

Ask Mother Goose.

READY-AIM-FIRE

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the Kings Horses and all the King’s Men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again” -Mother Goose

WHAT IS IT?

READY-AIM-FIRE is one of the most prevalent methods for making decisions. You prepare yourself with information, aim at your intended target or goal, and then send all your efforts and actions towards the goal in a “perfect” arc. Unfortunately, there is usually a huge disconnect between AIM and FIRE.

How will you know if you’ve aimed at the exact right spot? You don’t. You can’t. Its called the future because it hasn’t happened yet. So a lot of people end up tweaking their aim, over and over and over again. Sitting on the wall, keeping all of their options open, until eventually the opportunity has passed them by. Analysis paralysis is a real problem and it afflicts millions of hard working people across the world. It’s a great way to end up shooting yourself in the foot instead of advancing towards your goal. Or finding yourself scattered in a million pieces because you waited too long to choose one way or the other.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

Instead of READY-AIM-FIRE, use the READY-FIRE-AIM approach. This is akin to the Hypothesis-Test method. You describe a hypothesis for what you want, and then test your hypothesis to see if its true. After you review the results, you modify the hypothesis and test again.

Remember, its called trial and error because you’re supposed to make a few mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with mistakes. In fact, they are one of the best ways to learn. If you believe that mistakes and failure are bad, then visit www.RecreateYourLife.com and change your limiting beliefs. They are only holding you back.

Brainstorm-> Organize-> Prioritize-> Execute-> Improve

“One, two, buckly my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight” -Mother Goose

WHAT IS IT?

BOPEI is a popular decision technique across businesses and cubicles. It’s sometimes referred to as the trap of Continuous Improvement because each step “seamlessly” flows from one to the next. The process is designed to prove you’ve made the correct choice before you act and many people swear by it. Unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. It usually takes a lot more time and effort that you anticipated and generally ends up causing serious data overload for everyone involved.

However, I actually like this method. In fact, I studied it for many years under the guise of Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and other quality Buzzwords. (Okay, you can all yell BS BINGO now. Done? Good. Lets move forward.) The problem isn’t the process, it’s the intention to create an impossible flawless result. At each step you may find yourself asking, ”Have I Brainstormed enough options/solutions/causes? Am I using the most efficient Organization technique? Is there enough data to Prioritize everything? Did I Execute it correctly? What else can I Improve?

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

To reduce all this complexity, place limits on perfection. For example, limit your Bubble Brainstorming session time to 1 hour. Only implement the most important 2 or 3 actions. Execute with what you know, right now, instead of what you hope you’ll know in the future. Your final answer will never be perfect, but you can always revisit it later.

The 60 Second Rule

“Inny, Minny, Miny Mo
Catch a Tiger By His Toes
If he hollers, let him go
Inny, Minny, Miny Mo” -Mother Goose

WHAT IS IT?

The 60 Second Rule is the absolute opposite of the first two decision making methods. Basically, you give yourself 60 seconds to make the decision and take the first choice that comes to mind. This tactic is great for small decisions or, big decisions with small consequences.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

Initially it feels really scary to JUST PICK ONE. But, over time, it becomes liberating to make a choice quickly and then use your energy to work toward your goal, instead of wasting it on an idealized solution.

It’s also easier to change your mind. Unlike the first two approaches, once you recognize a mistake, you can quickly select a new destination or intention and focus you energy on that. No overwhelming data stream can stop you from acting. And action is the only way you can reach your goal.

Trust Your Voice

“Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might.
Have the wish, I wish tonight.” -Mother Goose

WHAT IS IT?

Listening to your own internal Voice is the most effective method of them all. Simply ask the question and listen closely for your answer. Ignore your desire for instant gratification and the clamor of other people’s opinions that bombard you. Remember, your internal Voice is very different from your immediate desires. It isn’t fleeting or fickle. It’s the direct gateway to your Meaning and your Life Purpose. Your Voice is the knowledge of Truth coupled with the power of Choice. It holds the secrets of your deepest hopes and provides immediate access to your Consciousness.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?

To activate the Voice when faced with a decision, ask yourself:

Is this me?
Does this choice feel like me?
Does it feel like The Truth? (as compared to a truth)
Can I accept responsibility for this choice?
Will I grow closer to my Life Purpose and Goals?
Can I feel it strengthening the deeper Meaning of my life?

Besides strengthening the belief in yourself and your decisions, listening to your Voice forces you to acknowledge responsibility for your actions. This is a phenomenal side effect that the other three decision methods do not inherently include. By using your Voice and making a conscious choice, you regain the Power you used to give away. Too often we let others make choices for us and then blame them for the consequences. Don’t do this. Accept the Power of Choice that is already yours and let your Voice guide the way.

Don’t Wait, Choose Today

In the end, it’s critical to realize that NOT making a decision is still making a decision. The world is constantly changing, which means that the “right” choice will transform into something completely different while you gather data and wait and wait and wait.

“The Itsy Bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the Itsy Bitsy spider climbed up the spout again!” -Mother Goose

You will climb higher and learn faster by committing to your choices. Accept that you cannot know the exact future, that you will make mistakes, and grow from those mistakes.

By acting on a Conscious Choice you become an active participant in the creation of your life, your reality, and your future.

BREAK

What’s you decision making process? How do you ensure you take action after making important decisions? Share your ideas in the comment section!

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Bubble Brainstorming, an Illustrated Inspiration

Lira — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:45:51 +0000

Bubble Brainstorming, or just bubbling to those of us that use it constantly, is a wonderful playground to let your Muse, your creative right brain, go wild. It gets your ideas on paper and gives them fertile ground to grow. It also makes your Daemon, your judgmental left brain, shut-up! I absolutely swear by this creative technique for every writing project.

Bubble Brainstorming is very simple, very powerful, and very messy.

1. Set a timer for at least 30 minutes.

In the beginning, this tells your Muse when its okay to play and helps quiet your Daemon by defining a specific start and stop time. Once you are using the bubbling technique more often, the timer will actually keep you and your Muse from getting lost for hours and hours. Remember, the goal of bubbling is to have lots of ideas for a creative project. Its not to bubble indefinitely and be found asleep at your desk, covered in crayola wax, with a vacant expression on your face.

2. Gather blank construction paper & crayons, colored pens, colored pencils, or any colored writing utensils you can find.

I love a mix of colored pencils, chalk pencils, and pastel highlighters. Do NOT use an eraser! Your Muse hates erasers. Your Daemon loves them. Whenever you are bubbling, convince yourself that erasers do not exist. As my favorite fiction writing instructor, Holly Lisle says “Your Muse does not make mistakes!”

3. Write your question or creative focus in the center of the paper and draw a circle around it.

Or a square. Or a triangle. Or a tree. Make sure you tell your Muse right off the bat, that its time to come out and get crazy.

True Love Bubbling

4. Draw 5 or 6 lines of any length from the center circle.

It might look exactly like the “sun” you used to draw in kindergarten or it might not. Most of my center bubbles look like the stick figure of a three legged dog without a head.

5. Write down anything that comes to mind when you look at your topic.

Use whatever words, sentences, or drawings that your Muse throws at you. Include your spelling mistakes, misshapen doodles, and accidental bubble connections. Do NOT let your Daemon’s judgment or organization creep onto the page.

6. Circle any new words that are important and draw lines between words that your Muse associates together.

Be creative with your connection lines. Draw pictures with your words and words with your pictures.

7. Continue bubbling with each new topic or group that shows up on the page until it is full.

…or until your 30 minute session is over. At this point, some people put the drawing aside, let it rest for a day or two, and then add anything to it that comes to mind in the interim. I don’t. My Daemon can’t stand leaving things alone and completely unorganized for two days. So I immediately move on to the next step. When you are first learning this technique, try it both ways and see which one works best for you.

8. Set your timer for another 30 minutes and tell your Muse and your Daemon that its time to PLAY NICE.

Bubbling Leap Of Faith

9. Define the goal to be a simple organization of the bubbled information created directly on your Bubble Map.

Your Daemon loves goals and rules. However, define the rules such that you must connect all the ideas using drawings, doodles, stars, big arrows, or by color coding your bubbles. Your Muse loves to color and draw. If you hold onto both the goal and the rules, you will get the Muse and the Daemon to work together. And together, they’ll come up with much better connections that you could have imagined.

10. After finishing this loose organization, let your Daemon write the detailed outline that you’ll need to create your first draft.

Some artists can skip this step, but I find it essential. Otherwise, I stare back and forth between my Bubble Map and my computer screen, and constantly ask myself…

“What in the hell was I thinking when I drew that butterfly tree? or How did I logically connect that tiger-heart and the word RISK?”

Once you finish the Bubble Map and its organizational structure, celebrate the merging of your left and right brain by taking a brake from all critical thinking. This is the perfect time to head to the gym, go for a run, or take a yoga class.

When you are ready to come back to the project after a few hours or a few days, create the first draft. Edit, edit. Sigh, because the editing will NEVER be done. Edit once more.

Accept it’ll never be perfect, and then smile as you present the final result to your audience.

BREAK

How do you brainstorm for creative ideas? What kind of results do you get after using Bubble Maps? Share your ideas in the comment section!

If you enjoyed the article, please subscribe to LiraVaughan.com and share it with your friends using the Share & Enjoy social bookmarking sites. Thank you for your support!