(I got a bit carried away with this post, so if you’re in hurry, go on and jump ahead to the gratuitous bullet points. Otherwise, carry on!)

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Patsi Krackoff (of The Blog Squad and Writing Great Ezines & Blogs) recently posted something remarkably familiar:

“I have a problem managing my work load: I can’t multi-task like most successful people seem to do. I am a one-track minded gal. Like for most entrepreneurs and small biz owners, I have plates spinning in the air all the time, and juggling is required.

If it were up to me, the plates would have splattered already… ” (from One-Track Mind: I Have a Problem )

In my world, the juggling *is* left up to me - and I have an astounding collection of splattered and shattered china to prove it. I’ve also got an impressive set of productivity plans, kits and books, none of which quit did the trick, because again, like Patsi:

“…. I need ruminating time. I need to think about each project with plenty of “mind time” in between. That’s how my best ideas come to me - in the empty spaces in between projects.”

None of the systems I’ve tried allowed for that, or my other quirks. In addition to “mind time,” I need plenty of space to sink myself into my work.

With numerous, diverse projects, finding that space to focus, as well as that necessary mental space between tasks is very difficult — especially while also making sure that nothing essential (like, say, paying the utility bill) slips through the cracks.

So I’ve started experimenting with my own productivity system.

Enter Plate-Spinning Productivity.

Plate-spinning is all about keeping multiple, diverse projects active and rolling, with as little effort and maintenance as possible.

Currently in Beta .1 (or is it Alpha .04? maybe its… oh, bother. I’ve lost track. It’s in development, anyway), it’s tailored to over-focused creative types: people like me, like me, like Patsi, and very likely you, too (If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably creative. Only creative people seem to relate to my peculiar brand of insanity)

People like us often have trouble shifting gears and balancing priorities. We tend to work best according to the driving inspiration of the moment, rather than a pre-defined schedule. Our best work often comes when immersed in the process of creation, sometimes to the point of obsession, and we usually need plenty of unstructured free space to ruminate, think, experience, and shake off our obsessions.

Normal, disciplined productivity methods tend to get in our way.

We’ve tried most popular methods. They look great, they sound great, and we love the bells and whistles. Sometimes we get enthused for a while, inevitably become focused on the organizational method itself, and wind up forgetting the actual projects it was supposed to organize. If we avoid that trap, eventually we wind up immersed in another single obsessive project, and forget all about the method we’re supposed to be using.

“We’ll get back to it,” we think, “just as soon as we finish this project…” But we don’t get back to it. Most productivity methods aren’t designed to be put on hold while we work — the whole point is to channel and direct our workflow. No system, no matter how promising it is, can direct the flow when it’s not part of the flow.

Plate-Spinning is designed to stay in the flow, guiding without interfering.

In a lot of ways, it’s less of a system than an attitude, a way of thinking about multiple projects. With plate-spinning, the goal isn’t to get things “done”, organize, or schedule. The goal for us is simpler… keep a small amount of momentum behind each of our projects — just enough to keep them all spinning.

The idea is to keep the maintenance of our projects low maintenance and natural, opening up the time, energy and focus to immerse ourselves in the obsession of the moment, spend time on loved ones, or just staring blankly at the ceiling (ruminating is work, too!)

Plate-Spinning doesn’t replace your to-do list. It doesn’t require you to rework your entire productivity system, replace all of your file-folders, invest in new software, Moleskines or a lifetime supply of index cards.

Think of it as a plug-in or widget for whatever other system you may find successful.

So who needs it?

I do.

But since you’re probably not me, and you’ve bothered to read this far — you should go find out more, via the gratuitous bullet points check-list.

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MindTWEAK: Sometimes, it takes me thousands of words (this post) to come up with the few hundred words (the bullet points) that really matter. The great thing about blogging? I can post both!

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