Exploring Your Personal Guideposts

Finding meaning in the things you do

Welcome to All the Tasks Fit to Print, my newsletter on all issues productivity-related for authors (and other solopreneurs)! Watch for my new book, Holistic Productivity: Essays on a New Vision for a Well Balanced Life!

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When we talk about what matters most to us, we're usually not referring to material possessions or fleeting pleasures. Instead, we mean the core aspects of our lives that shape who we truly are: parenthood, career, health, significant personal goals, faith communities—these are what I call the "guideposts" in my Personal Projects Management (PPM) method. These guideposts are the pillars that direct our decisions and highlight our priorities.

Understanding Your Guideposts

Guideposts are those major life projects that demand your time, energy, money, and love. They are intrinsic to your identity. But how do you identify these guideposts? It might seem intuitive, yet many of my clients struggle to articulate them and narrow them down.

First, recognize that your guideposts should be limited to three to six at any given time. This limitation isn't arbitrary; it's about managing your finite energy and focus. Trying to juggle more than six significant life projects usually leads to burnout which in turn leads to stagnation. Remember, the aim is to focus your energy, not to spread yourself too thin.

Why Limiting Your Guideposts Matters

Consider this: just because there are 24 hours in a day doesn't mean you have 24 hours of usable energy and focus. Daily responsibilities such as work, relationships, self-care, and rest consume those hours. Overloading your schedule makes it impossible to achieve any of your goals effectively.

To avoid this, start by acknowledging that attempting too many things is counter-productive. High achievers often fall into the trap of wanting to accomplish everything, but it's essential to prioritize and streamline.

Steps to Identify Your Guideposts

1. List Your Roles: Begin by listing the roles you play in your life. This concept, popularized by Stephen Covey in his famous book First Things First, helps in outlining your main areas of responsibility. Roles can include spouse, parent, friend, business owner, hobbyist, etc. and usually people will only have about five or so, but if you are super busy and have a lot of commitments, you might have up to ten. We’ll deal with that later in the process.

2. Define Your Goals: Nex, separately identify your major goals. For example, achieving peak physical fitness might be a significant personal goal even if it doesn't fit neatly into a defined role (yet!). Even if you don’t have a role for “fan” you should still put down having that killer cosplay ready for the next DragonCon! If it’s a goal, it goes on the list!

3. Combine Where Possible: Look for areas where roles and goals overlap and can be merged under a single guidepost. For instance, instead of listing each child as a separate guidepost, combine them under “parenthood.” Similarly, if you have multiple goals around income, investments, and paying off debts, consider a broader guidepost like “financial wellbeing.”

4. Prioritize: Once you have a consolidated list, rank them in order of importance. This helps in focusing on what truly matters most to you at any given time. Everyone hates this step because it is often impossible to rank things you love or have a strong commitment to hierarchically. Consider using a system that is not numerical, such as color coding. Anything that can suggest “priority” without having to compare or assign judgment values to them.

5. Trim the List: Cross out the less critical items, keeping only the top three to six guideposts. This step will be challenging but is crucial for maintaining focus and avoiding overwhelm! Remember, too, that nothing is written in stone. You can swap out guideposts or set one aside to circle around to when you have completed other goals.

Implementing Your Guideposts

With your guideposts identified and prioritized, the next step is implementation. This process brings clarity to your daily and long-term planning. By aligning your projects and tasks with your guideposts, you ensure that your efforts are directed towards what matters most! Honestly, once you get to this point, things usually fall into place and you can clearly identify what needs doing and when.

Practical Exercise

Putting it all together, if you're struggling to identify your guideposts, follow this simple exercise:

1. Identify Roles: List all the roles you play in life.

2. Identify Goals: Note your significant goals.

3. Merge: Combine roles and goals where it makes sense.

4. Prioritize: Rank them by importance.

5. Trim: Keep only the top three to six.

Implement these guideposts in your life and observe how they help your focus and productivity.

I'd love to hear about your experience with this process. Did it help you clarify your priorities? Do you have any questions or need further guidance? Share your thoughts and let's discuss!

Watch for my new book!

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As “The Task Mistress,” I am a holistic productivity coach for creatives. Using my background as a project manager and all-round productivity nerd, I help creative entrepreneurs find holistic productivity so they can achieve all their goals, both personal and professional.