I really wish I could say I can't relate to the need for more structure, but my momma taught me not to lie. ;-)

This post reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Frank Herbert:

"Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty."

It was one of those quotes that went straight to the heart when I first came across it. I had been chasing "freedom," but painting myself into a corner in the process because I wasn't getting results.

Did you secretly place a camera in my home and film me chasing bright shiny objects.

Amen to all that you wrote. I especially like (and I use that term lightly) that distractibily is directly related to fear.

Here's to being more productive, breaking through those fear and having a plan to follow.
Thanks for a great post!
Cheri Britton!

Curt: That's a great quote. Discipline is too often seen as a dirty word, when it can be the key to so much joy and meaning. (With some hard work along the way.)

Cheri: LOL. The camera has been on me, my friend, and I know I'm not alone. Thank you for stopping by.

Wow! You hit the nail on the head. The timing of this piece is another amazing example of synchronicity in my life.

This article is insightful and inspiring. It is a relief to know that I am not alone in the distractions and busy-ness that I encounter. It is also great to have a way forward outlined. Thank you!!

This was a great article. I so relate to the bright shiny thing syndrome when being more distractable because of a slump in confidence.
Thank you for the timely words.

Janet, Doris, apparently there are a lot of us who suffer Bright Shiny Object Syndrome. And it's great that we have the ability to see so many possibilities. But without choice, those possibilities don't bear fruit.

I like to think of nature's profligacy. How a flower or fruit will create hundreds of seeds when only one is needed to replicate itself.

You also could have been writing about me! I call it "Creative ADD" and sometimes I blame it on being an Aries, who are said to be "good at starting things." Working at home for yourself sure makes it easy to follow impulse, and as an artist, I've done this most of my life (thank god for the occasional deadline!)

I don't know who first said "Discipline is remembering what you want" but that is sobering for me and works when I remember it.

I love what you wrote about momentum and delayed gratification. I will try to tolerate the restlessness and boredom next time I'm in one of those slumps and give momentum a chance. Taking short breaks and returning to the task helps too.

-Tomar

Did you secretly place a camera in my home and film me chasing bright shiny objects.

Amen to all that you wrote. I especially like (and I use that term lightly) that distractibily is directly related to fear.

Here's to being more productive, breaking through those fear and having a plan to follow.
Thanks for a great post!
Cheri Britton!

Like many other commmenters here this came at good time. I already know this stuff however I've been feeling lack of focus and enthusiasm lately and your article was a good reminder and has given me a boost. Thanks.

Tomar: I love that discipline quote. Thank you. And I hope that thinking about momentum will provide the nudge you need to keep going when energy flags.

Diana: If I actually did everything I know how to do...well, I'd be too cool for words. ;-)

Loved today's article, and neuroscience proves that what we focus on creates new neurological pathways, and the more we focus on those, the more they get enforced.

Thus, results will show up in the outer world which means a daily support group to set goals, take actions, and have accountability is exactly what needs to be done to enforce those neuro pathways, and to get to success.

The New Agers have always known that :-)

Structure seems to be the theme of 2010 - it's showing up everywhere for me. I've always lived and worked serendipitously - self-directed vs goal-directed, I'd say. Even as I've worked very hard at times, when I have a structure around me.

It has mostly served me to be open to possibilities - and the profitability key for me has been finding the right partner! My previous business partner & I managed to create one of the 100 largest women-owned businesses in Canada. I've taken the serendipitous road since those crazy days and well, I'm happier, if not so well off.

And thankfully, for a year now, I've been collaborating with an engineer/MBA who is great at structure. Now momentum is building, we are moving forward, and hopefully based on your principles, the productivity will be profitable!!

Thanks Molly. I'm one of those who resists structure, yet I know I need it. In my current project I've mapped out daily, weekly, and chapter goals, and review frequently to assess whether I'm still on track. It's saving my sanity, yet I don't love it. Thanks for acknowledging we don't have to like the process, or come by it naturally to still benefit.

Part of how I manage the creative side is to set structure with some flexibility, so if I don't hit my daily goal I still have time to hit the weekly one. It keeps the structure from feeling too stifling, which can kill the creative process.

Sabine: When people ask me what is the most important thing thing they can do to succeed, I say to build a support system. In fact, I'm designing a Mastermind group for self-employed women even as we speak.

Cheryl: I, too, have often done well be serendipity. Yet even as I consider those times when I've proceeded organically, I notice that there was an underlying structure of taking baby steps that built momentum. I suspect that sometimes structure comes more naturally than others.

Kathy: I love the approach of setting both daily and weekly goals. One way I do this is what I call the 4/5/7 rule for daily practices. The idea is that doing a daily practice 7 times in a week is perfect; doing it 5 times is terrific; and doing it 4 times is an absolute bottom line. For 5-day-a week practices I restate it as 5/4/3.

Thanks, everyone, for showing up and taking the time to comment. It means so much to know that you are out there and thinking about the same things.

Great post.

I particularly like:

"Distractibility is directly related to fear of failure."

Definitely much easier to look at photos on Flickr than to write a blog post that nobody will read :)

Thanks, Molly. This is one of the clearest and best written posts I've ever read on a topic dear to my heart. It's also the first time I encounter your blog, so I've recommended it on my own blog & I'll definitely be back.