Day 8 - How to speed-write your course using what, why and how
Answering questions is the fastest form of thinking
Today is Day 8 of building my next course in public.
I wrote the what, why and how for Part 1, following my outline pretty closely. That took 20 minutes.
I made a video of myself writing for those 20 minutes. You'll hear me write as I type but also think out loud as I consider the ideas.
You'll also see how I deal with all the stray thoughts and concerns that come up as I write and how I make sure they don't derail me.
Here's a link to that video:
https://www.loom.com/share/af5d0a060ea04c45a912c9b016d4fa07
Thanks for reading,
Rodney
P.S. If you feel anything at all is unclear, please let me know. I'm so happy to answer any questions or respond to any comments.
The outline so far
I added a few small placeholders to the outline which I marked in bold on the outline below.
The placeholders are:
Introduction
Conclusion
Total checklist
Drama, drama, drama
Here's a video showing how I added those final elements as that may make it easier to see what I did. https://www.loom.com/share/c46b7253c363470c9085a56309d0baa3
Introduction
Part 1: Setup iPARA
Drama
Defining each element
What are the elements of iPARA?
Inbox - place to put stuff you don't know where to put yet (most be reviewed regularly)
Projects - has an outcome and a deadline
Areas - consistent performance over time
Resources - categories you are interested in
Archive - stuff you no longer need but keep just in case
Why are the elements organized as they are?
The PARA part is organized according to actionability. Projects are most actionable, Archive is least actionable.
How do you sort stuff into each box?
First ask, does this item relate to a project I'm working on?
If yes, put in the correct project folder.
If no, ask does it belong to an Area?
If yes, put it in the correct Area folder?
If no, ask is it a Resource I want to keep for the future?
If yes, put in the right resource folder?
If no, ask if it belongs in archive or trash?
If archive, archive, if trash, trash it.
Examples:
show 10 items on a desktop, then explain where each goes and a reason why
Video demonstrating the sorting of items from a desktop into PARA folders
Mistakes:
Overthinking each element (search can find something if you "misplace it")
Exercise: Listing 3 projects, 3 areas, 3 resources and 3 archives and put them in a note in your inbox
Exercise: Sort 10 items from your hard drive or browser bookmarks into PARA.
Part 2: Using PARA daily
A: Adding stuff to the Inbox
Drama
Why add stuff to the inbox and not just find the right place for it immediately?
If you know where it goes, put it where it goes
If not, put it in inbox to avoid disrupting your flow
How do you add stuff to your inboxes?
Copy paste method
Web capture tools
etc?
When do you add stuff to your inboxes?Examples:
Found a web page with some cool info for a project you may do someday,
read an article about potty training (parent of a 9-month old),
found a great quote in a book you read and you typed it up in a note
Saw a gift idea for your Christmas that's month's away
Mistakes:
Not scheduling regular time to review your inbox
Not adding a note to explain why you saved something
Exercise:
Add 1 web article to your inbox,
Add a note about your progress through this course to your inbox
B: Producing projects
Drama
What do I mean by "producing projects?"
Taking a project from starting idea, to conclusion
Why is it important to produce a project?
If you don't have a conscious process for creating a project, you may never get it done.
Or if you get it done, you may end up doing it with heavy lifts instead of many small lifts.
How do you use project folders to help you produce projects?
They become a collection box for all info related to a project.
They cause you to notice when there's something you could put in the box
They let you be expansive, since you don't have to make a decision now, you can just store it and decide later.
Examples:
Fully Alive Program,
five training courses I do every year,
PARA course
Mistakes:
Not keeping the same name for a project across all your systems
Exercise:
List all of your projects
Create a folder for one project that doesn't have a folder
Make a note that lists three thoughts or ideas you have about the project
Part 3: Maintaining PARA
A: Weekly Review
Drama
What is the weekly review?
It is a ritual that allows you to keep your PKM system in shape
Why is it essential?
It allows you to trust your system.
How do you conduct it?
[show the checklist]
Example: Video demo
Mistakes
The Either/or error - do a little if you can't do it all
Exercise:
Schedule your first weekly review - block an hour even
Put the date in your digital calendar with a link to your weekly review checklist
Follow the weekly review checklist
B: Monthly Review
Drama
What is the monthly review?
It is a monthly ritual that allows you to keep your PKM humming
Why is it so important?
Keeps the folders from getting cluttered
Keeps you on track with your goals
How do you conduct the monthly review?
[show checklist]
Example: Video demo
Mistakes:
Not having this in your calendar
Exercise:
Schedule your first monthly review
Put the date in your digital calendar with a link to your monthly review checklist
Follow the monthly review checklist
Conclusion
Total checklist
It's great that you included what you wrote so that we can follow it. I like the way you are building hip your outline. It was hard to understand when watching the video.