by David Andrew Wiebe | Jan 13, 2023 | Personal Development
I’ve shared about creating completion before, but the concept may seem mercurial if you don’t know what it’s supposed to look like.
Today, I wanted to share about a few things I’ve completed… today. Why should you care about what I’m up to? You shouldn’t.
Rather, you should look at this post as though you were looking into a mirror to uncover incompletion in your life, and to identify what actions you can take to restore wholeness and integrity in your life.
Here are five things I completed today.
I Contributed to Sahakarini
Which isn’t to say this will be the last time I will be contributing to underprivileged children in South America and related projects.
To be transparent with you, I was experiencing some financial difficulty throughout year one of the two-year leadership program I’m still amid. As result, I wasn’t immediately able to contribute the full amount to Sahakarini I had originally collected.
But I kept track of every cent, making small donations to the cause as I was able, fulfilling on promises I’d originally made in 2021. Finally, today, I’m fully caught up.
This is not to draw attention to my humanitarian efforts. I don’t own a non-profit, and the main way I give back is by raising funds and making donations out of my own pocket (so, buy my products – it’s good for humanity 😉).
But I do value transparency, which is why you can see the full amount my team and I have raised and donated to the cause here.
I Paid a Friend Back
The leadership program I referenced earlier is split up into quarters, and each quarter is full of upheaval, change, and discovery.
Most quarters, I join friends at an Airbnb, preferably at a nearby but desirable destination for a weekend (because the leadership program dedicates one weekend per quarter completing the last and starting the new).
I ended up owing a bit of money to a friend for an extra night’s stay on one such weekend, which I finally paid off today.
Not owing any money sure feels good (all that’s left now is my consolidated debt).
I Created 2 ARTiculate Posts
As I’ve shared before, I am the host of an initiative called ARTiculate with The Indie YYC. Generally, I produce two posts per month around which (provocative) community discussions can take place.
These are often created in the moment, but today, I managed to batch two posts, which I have already scheduled in our content queue.
If you’d like to follow along, then be sure to follow The Indie YYC on Facebook or Instagram.
I Invoiced 2 Clients
I honestly don’t know why it’s taken me so long to do this. I could have invoiced both at the beginning of the month. But to be fair, 2023 has been quite explosive out of the gate.
I can’t quite say I’m on top of everything now, but it does feel good to get a few things off my plate. Using ClickUp to manage my to-do list helps.
I Completed One Section of the Forthcoming Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook
I’m promising something big with the forthcoming Productivity, Performance & Profits Blackbook. If you missed my update about it, you can read about it here.
I don’t have a ton of new content to produce for this endeavor, but there is a great deal to do in terms of collating relevant content, reviewing it, editing it, and formatting it for the new book.
Today, I compiled, added, and edited all relevant sections from The Music Entrepreneur Companion Guide. One down, not too sure how many more to go, but a good start, nevertheless.
I Completed This Blog Post
Obviously, or you wouldn’t be reading it…
But in case you didn’t know, I am blogging daily again. I expect to be able to transition into podcasting more instead of just writing, but writing is enjoyable to me, and it’s fun to be able to write on topics you (yes, you – not me) care about.
If there’s something you’d like me to cover in a future post, just let me know.
Final Thoughts
I’m aware that there are more loose ends and open loops to complete in my life, and I intend to identify all or as many as possible, bringing completion to each.
I have found organizing my desktop and sending projects to “later” or “never” files very cathartic and much needed besides. I know for certain that email is going to be another great place to look (although I am resisting it) …
What could you complete in 2023 that you’ve been holding onto? What actions do you see to take now? What could be possible for you if you spent time each week completing the past?
by David Andrew Wiebe | Jan 6, 2023 | Productivity
Due to my nomadic status, I have officially embraced a primarily digital workflow in 2023. I wouldn’t say I’ve gone “paper free,” but being able to check up on the status of a project from anywhere has become critical. Having key documents in the cloud makes it easy for me to keep tabs on what I’m up to, no matter where I am in the world.
All that to say, my productivity tool stack has evolved a little since last year. Here’s what I’m now using.
iPhone 13 Pro Max
I stuck with my Samsung Galaxy S7 since 2016. But in May 2022, I finally decided to upgrade.
I wasn’t sure which phone I’d ultimately pick, but I was leaning towards the iPhone because of its camera. And, in the end, the iPhone won.
So far, I couldn’t be any happier with this choice. Adapting to the workflow didn’t take long, and since it is a brand-new phone, it’s a lot faster and smoother than my previous device, and it has a bigger screen too.
From social media and Kindle to Notes and Gmail, I find I’m able to do a lot more on my phone than I was previously able, whether scheduling meetings, documenting ideas, or reading Kindles.
My iPhone is my go-to tool for capturing video too.
iPad & Apple Pencil
Hard to believe – my iPad & Apple Pencil have been with me since 2019. But somehow, they still feel new to me.
I have used this combo extensively for journaling and digital art. I like to read Kindles on my iPad as well.
I like that I can sync up my iPad with my new iPhone, and even my older MacBook Pro. Make no mistake, though – I’m still a hybrid PC / Mac user.
ClickUp
Evernote is out and ClickUp is in.
Not that I don’t like Evernote, but for some reason it has fallen off my radar more times than I can count. If it doesn’t stay in my workflow, it usually means there is too much friction to using it.
ClickUp is a thorough project management tool, but I basically use it as my digital to-do list.
Notion
As with ClickUp, Notion can be used as a comprehensive project management tool (though I think ClickUp does to-do lists better).
I find Notion works best as a central, communal holding place for project related information. If I have any collaborative projects, my first instinct is to set up a new teamspace inside Notion, complete with mission, objectives, deadlines, stats, meeting times and Zoom links, links to relevant documents, and the like.
Dropbox
I think I’ve said it before, but at this point, my workflow is so enmeshed with Dropbox that I barely even notice it’s there. But I would certainly notice if it wasn’t there, as I have multiple book projects stored inside.
Google Workspace
Gmail, Drive, and Calendar. Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d do without them.
Last year, I got to discover the utility of the Updates tab in Gmail. I love it because it moves a lot of emails I only want to check occasionally into a separate tab.
My LifeSheet, of course, exists in Drive, and my Calendar is timeboxed.
Microsoft Office
I still do most if not all my writing inside Word. I know there are a lot of other great tools out there, but because I’m used to Word and all its quirks, I’m better able to adapt to changes. I even layout my books in Word.
Excel comes in handy around tax time.
Final Thoughts
If you want to be as productive as you can possibly be in 2023, ensure that you’ve got the right structures in place. Using the right tools can make a difference, but you’ve got to create processes for all the tools you use too. I suggest keeping your workflow as simple as possible.
If you need any guidance setting up systems for your career or business, feel free to get in touch for personalized coaching. I don’t come cheaply, but I always deliver value.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Jan 1, 2023 | Productivity
Happy New Year!
I hope you’ve been enjoying the holidays.
Today, I’m going to cover a few essentials to ensure you have a year surpassing all others.
Don’t feel like you need to implement everything now. Simply take note of where there might be a missing in your processes and get into action when you’re ready.
1. To-Do Lists
In 2023, many “gurus” are going to tell you to throw away your to-do lists. Nothing could be more ridiculous. Your to-do lists are key to keeping your daily activity aligned with your goals.
You will need to prioritize your list, of course, because it’s easy to waste time on lesser tasks while ignoring the big, scary ones.
But if you’re guided solely by intuition, you will make mistakes, drop the ball, waste time, or worse.
If you prefer to create digital to-do lists over hardcopy ones, I suggest ClickUp.
2. Goals
In 2023, many “gurus” are going to tell you not to set goals. Nothing could be more ridiculous.
At all times, we should be crystal clear on what we’re aiming for in business, creativity, and life. We need a target. We need to know where the bull’s eye is if we have any hope of hitting it.
So, set goals and put them somewhere you will see them every single day.
Don’t be discouraged by failures or resolutions not kept. Close the chapter on 2022 and start fresh.
3. A Timeboxed Calendar
Your to-do lists and goals must be reflected in your schedule. Otherwise, your goals will be reduced to wishful thinking.
If you want to write a book, for example, block an hour in your calendar, every single day, to write and edit.
If you require examples, and a step-by-step process for creating your own timeboxed calendar, refer to Nir Eyal’s article on timeboxing.
4. A Notion Page
Is there a central space your team can go to see exactly how a project is progressing?
Even if you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, or independent artist, there is massive value in capturing the key details of your projects and updating them as you make progress.
If anyone can look at your Notion page and know exactly what you’re up to without having a single conversation with you, you’re on the right track.
Notion is a simple to use tool that allows you to display and organize a variety of information. I can cover how I organize mine in a future article, but either way it should not take you long to set up a new account.
5. Journal
With the amount of journaling I do, I’ve found my iPad and Apple Pencil to be the best tools for the job.
Whether it’s for note-taking, goal setting, or brainstorming sessions, your journal entries can form the foundation of new strategies, content, discussions, and more.
Your mind is not a great place to store information. So, get in the habit of capturing key information in your journal as your days unfold. Don’t forget to review your entries as well (sometimes, there is gold hidden in there).
