Prioritizing for Creatives With Too Many Ideas

You’re gifted with tons of ideas, which all seem great. And you want to do all of them now.
The problem is, you’re not the goddess Kali, gifted with many arms and the ability to multitask. You have to choose. You have to prioritize.
Every client and student I’ve worked with has this challenge. I do, too. With so many things to do, how to know what to do and when? Here’s what my clients and I find works.
Start big, work small
Know what you want in the bigger picture. What are you doing in this life? What are you trying to achieve?
Having clarity on you’re about and how you want to execute that will help you choose projects that align with your vision.
Work with the calendar
At the start of each year, take time to explore your focus for the year. If you’re an artist or writer, is this year about producing work? Or is it time to put your work into the world?
Understanding where you are in your creative cycle will help you focus on what’s important. This will make it easier to say no to things that aren’t related to your focus.
From your annual focus, break it down quarterly. What is each quarter of the year about? What resources do you need, what actions do you need to take, what help do you need?
You may not be able to answer these questions past the first quarter, but even one quarter is a great start.
From the quarterly viewpoint, break it down into weekly actions. Again, you may not be able to plan it all out, but a sense of each week’s work will help.
Each week, get clear on the thing(s) you most want to achieve that week. Keep this to three or fewer items. Be sure you’re breaking bigger items (write novel) into smaller tasks (draft chapter one, write back story for characters X and Y).
Every day, when you go to work, do the same thing: identify the thing you most want to accomplish that day. Have no more than three things on this daily list.
This may not be the thing you want to do. It may be the thing that gives the most satisfaction to you, or that brings you closer to completing your goal.
When other opportunities spring up, ask yourself how they align with your bigger picture goals and focus. Learn to say ‘no’ as a way to say ‘yes’ to what’s really important to you.
Keep breaking it down
One mistake people make is thinking that once they set their priorities with their vision or even a weekly plan, it should be easy to follow.
But you have to keep driving yourself to reprioritize. I use this system and still have to keep asking myself throughout the day, “What now? What now?” After I complete each task or project, I consult my list.
The secret is to spend a little time planning. Plan the year, the quarter, the month, the week, the day. You’ll feel more satisfied on a daily basis and on an annual basis, you’ll see the results you want.
What helps you prioritize? How will you try my suggestions here? 
Coaches help prioritize
One of the things that really helps to prioritize and take meaningful action is working with a coach. Earlier this year I hired a coach to help me with my business. I tell you, when you plunk down money to work with someone who has your best interests in mind, you get clear on your priorities.
My coach helped me see the bigger picture and identify specific actions to attain my goals. It worked. 2011 was my best fiscal year ever. I finished my novel, increased my reach, and felt happier and more empowered by it. I published more, traveled more, and enjoyed life more.
This is what I experience when I prioritize. This is what my clients experience when they prioritize.
I have a few spaces open for new clients in 2012. My rates will be increasing slightly on January 13th. If you need help prioritizing, send me an email and we’ll talk about how to get started with our work together.