Work Tool: Easiest versus Hardest Prioritization

Dip your toe or cannonball?

You come into work and sit down at your desk. You have a list of tasks set out for the day. For the sake of the visual metaphor, let's imagine that your tasks are to eat 10 peppers of varying degrees of hotness. So, should you start with the hottest pepper first (hardest task)? Or should you begin on the other end and eat the mildest pepper first (easiest task)?

Let's make a pros and cons list.

Hot pepper first

Pros:

Gets worst out of the way first
Doesn't hang over head all day
Makes the day go downhill

Cons:

Makes start very daunting
Can discourage momentum
Encourages initial procrastination

Mild pepper first

Pros:

Makes it easy to get started right away
Builds initial momentum
Encourages confidence with early wins

Cons:

Makes the day go uphill
Harder tasks loom over your head
Discourages promptness towards what are probably more important tasks

So, which pepper do I eat first? To be honest, it really depends. In the final analysis however, my work history leans towards eating the hardest tasks first.

Enough metaphors. It's my lunch break and I require some serious heat for my tacos. I'm going to need those ten peppers.

Comments

Creative Tool: Idea Mutation

It's mutating out of control! Here is another wild method of improving the creativity of ideas through the process of introducing random 'mutations'. I call it Idea Mutation. Method: Start with an idea. Add it to a circle on the far left side of a piece of paper. That is round 1. Make two branches off the first idea. Each branch has a new circle. That is round 2. For each branch, roll a 10-sided dice and select the 'mutation' from the table below. For each branch, create a 'mutated' idea incorporating that branch's mutation. Continue branching and mutation ideas for subsequent rounds (3, 4, etc.). Modifications: Include different mutations (ex. Add Thrill, More Collaborative, Clearer, etc.) Add null mutation (no changes for certain branches) Change probability of mutations (same mutation for more than one number) Examples:

Creative Tool: Idea Bracket

Let the Best Idea Win. How to generate great ideas? Why not create an Idea Bracket ? It is analogous to a sports league play-off. Ideas are pitted against each other, with the winning idea moving on to the next round. The last idea standing is the winner. I do have a few additional rules. The Three M's : Modify, Merge, and Markup. These rules allow for both idea modification and saving sub-winner ideas. Simple enough, right? Let's try it out on some examples. Story Beginning Location Floating City and Haunted Graveyard merged into Floating Graveyard Screaming Wastelands modified into Blasted Wastelands Winner was Floating Graveyard and Sundered Titan merged into Floating Graveyard of Titans Artistic Inspiration Shack Brainstorming and Review Idea/Notes merged to Shack Review Ideas TCG View modified to TCG Mashup Shack Review Ideas marked for later Monster App and Walk and Song merged to Walk and Song with Monster App Priming Winner was T...

Writing Tool: Panic Cards

For writing emergencies only... In a previous post , I created a break-in-case of emergency box for days where I'm severely struggling to get my writing goal in. In case that box is not enough, or if I'm away from my house, I've devised another emergency method to keep me from veering off my writing track. Panic Cards. What are they? Simple. Index cards cut in half with encouraging phrases on one side. The other side has a small, randomized reward for completing the writing task. I made it random on purpose to increase the intrigue. To use them, I pull out the card, read the phrase of encouragement, and get the writing done. Once the thirty minutes of writing is completed, I turn over the card and reap the reward. Silly? Maybe. Effective? Time will tell. It's better to have an emergency plan and never use it than to not have one when an emergency comes calling.

The Mark Williamson Creative Universe

Search This Blog