Just yesterday, I realized that a few insanely crucial points.
One, I’ll write about later.
The other is that I have a had a habit stretching back to when I was a little kid: I always wrote my outline last. I always wanted to blurt every thought that I had in my head onto the page without regard to cohesion or efficiency. The result was that I would have a horrible time starting. And once I did, I had an even worse time stopping! I would flit in between nearly-related ideas, trying to fit them in somehow, and then have multiple drafts.. agitated that I couldn’t seem to come in under the max word/page count. Then, and only then, would I begin on my outline.
I found that, because this made my outline very precise, I never lost points for it. And as all I was doing was trying to get a good grade, I was never properly prompted to learn this essential skill.
Now, in adult life, I find that I have tried to do the same thing. Busy-work myself to death, stop, try to make some goals that are based on what I am already doing, get frustrated, and head right back into busy-work.
So, I’ve dropped almost everything in loo of making goals. And not just that! I’m writing an outline of *questions* first, before I start answering them.
That’s how my brain works. I’ve discovered this and I’m going with it. I am an idea generator, and the only reason why I wouldn’t write the outline first is because I wasn’t asking myself the correct questions first in order to get good answers.
Here’s my idea. I will start with the highest levels of the chart below (Principles), and write them all out. Only then will I write the next level, and so on…
I. Principle
–A. Description of Principle
–B. Ways I could apply this principle
——1. Answer
———a. Benefits
———b. Challenges
—–2. Answer… (and so on)
–C. Action List
And then.. I can take everything from all the “C”s and create a master action list!
So.. I’m off to do that, and then.. go watch Watchmen!
