Week 37: Inertia (The Bullet Journal Method Book Club)

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Hello Sunshine!

This section is chockfull of helpful strategies. Get your Bullet Journal ready. I’d even suggest bookmarking this section to refer back to often.

Resources:

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Inertia

Pages 217 - 221

Welcome to week 37 of The Bullet Journal Method Book Club!

This section has a couple different techniques for when you get stuck. “Maybe you’re hung up on a problem, or you’ve lost motivation, or you’re having a hard time finding a way forward on a project, goal, or in a relationship. Whatever the reason may be, you’re left feeling frustrated by the sense of inertia.” Ryder suggests Rubber Ducking and Break-Sprints.

Rubber Ducking:

This process originates from The Pragmatic Programer by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. “We’re apt to lose our objectivity when we’re spinning our wheels. By explaining the problem in detail to someone (or something) else, we’re forced to change our perspective, viewing it from above, so to speak, and not from the depths of whatever mental hole we’ve dug ourselves into.” Grab your Bullet Journal and write a letter to a duck or some other understanding entity of your choosing. Explain to them:

  • Your problem

  • What’s not working

  • Why it isn’t working

  • What you’ve tried

  • What you have not tried yet

  • What you want to have happen

The duck may not have all of the answers, however, “good communication bridges the gap between information and understanding. In the process of carefully communicating the problem, you may help yourself figure out a solution.” That’s the key. If this doesn’t work, try a Break-Sprint.

Break-Sprints:

These are “designed for the sole purpose of helping your mind get unstuck.” Look at the Goals Collection you created earlier. Pick a Task from it and break it down. Keep in mind:

  1. It should take two weeks or less to complete.

  2. It should be unrelated to the project/problem that’s troubling you.

  3. Very critically, it needs to have a defined end (and a clear beginning and middle, too).

This can help you gain perspective.

Discussion:

  • Are currently stuck on anything?

  • Have you tried talking about what you’re stuck on?

  • Do smaller projects/break-sprints work for you?

Action List:

  • Try ‘Rubber Ducking’ by explaining your problem to a rubber duck or someone/something else.

  • Write down what you learned from talking to your rubber duck in your Bullet Journal.

  • Flip to a new spread in your Bullet Journal and create a Break-Sprint.

  • Work on your Break-Sprint.

Your thoughts:

Share your thoughts about this week’s topic in the comments below. Feel free to respond to this week’s discussion points.

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