We all know what what we should do. Actually doing it, however, is another thing all together.
- “I should learn that new design software.”
- “I should read that book.”
- “I should follow-up on that freelance lead.”
- “I should learn to code in my spare time.”
- “I should exercise.”
For each person, their next “should do” is different, but being able to move from “yeah I should do that” to actually doing it is a game changer for your design career and life.
Think about it. Where would your career or life be if you consistently did what you know you should do?
What if you actually did something with your “should do’s”?
1. Decide if you should OR shouldn’t do it.
Not everything that pops into your head should actually be a “should do”.
Maybe learning that new software doesn’t actually make sense right now(?) Maybe learning to facilitate a workshop would actually be more beneficial to your design career than learning to code based on your goals(?)
Pro-tip: If your boss told you to do something, skip to step 4.
Be intentional. Make a decision on what are the real “should do’s” for you right now.
2. Write it down
At the end of the day, there’s no point to having a “should do” if you never do anything with it.
“Should-do’s” float around in people’s heads. Get them down on paper.
If you aren’t serious enough to take the mental “should do” item and write it down on a list, return to step 1.
3. Prioritize it
You probably can’t do all of your should-do’s at once. You’ll likely need to prioritize.
Maybe you want to learn to code HTML & CSS, learn Figma, and learn Design Thinking.
Prioritize your should-do’s and attack them in the order that makes the most sense for you and your goals.
4. Go do it.
If you don’t actually execute then you don’t actually make any progress.
Conversely, when you take any “should do’s” and turn them into “done’s”, then you move forward.
Jr. designers become mid-level designers, and mid-level designers become Sr. designers because they consistently take initiative and action.
Execute on these four steps consistently and you will build confidence and momentum in your life while you stack the wins.
Go turn your “should do’s” into “done’s”.