Last month I wrote about my commitment to start on a book emphasizing the opportunities for NPs to demonstrate leadership in one way or another, regardless of their practice area or setting. A major goal is to encourage NPs to become leaders in some fashion, regardless of whether their title suggests a leadership role. And I’m pleased to say I have committed to doing what it takes to reach the finish line. In the meantime, I have also identified some added productivity tools I’m finding helpful.
A quick update on my progress: I’ve mapped out my topical outline, identifying the applicable fit with components of the Essentials and Curriculum documents that guide NP education. I’ll soon be reaching out to varied NP program faculty, asking for time to discuss their needs and how the content I’m developing will be applicable to their programs.
Productivity Tools: I often underscore the need for time-management—blocking work periods, keeping a “not to do list”, being persistent, etc. --when coaching NPs on their projects. I recently found a new set of tools I can encourage others to use, and which are becoming a great resource for myself in this area. The book Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done by Charley Gilkey helps readers to look at the big picture of what they hope to accomplish, breaking tasks into manageable “chunks”, identifying points of “drag”, and maintaining momentum. What’s more, his website “Productive Flourishing” has many thoughtful discussions on productivity and several relevant tools – including a Momentum App. I’m passing on the app for now, as I believe I’ll do better with the downloadable/printable resources. But I’m finding his book and downloadable tools very helpful in maintaining my momentum.
In a future blog I’ll share another resource that I’m using that is helping me form positive habits (and losing negative ones)—both in regards to my book project and meeting some personal goals. And will share progress on my new book.