Unstuck in Action
Unstuck in Action: Just the right kick in the pants
Name: Brian O’Donnell
Age: 39
Location: New York City
Occupation: Electronic musician, engineer, producer. “Since I was a teen, I’ve been working in music, so I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years. I’ve produced everything from heavy rock to teen princess pop. I do music full time and I also teach Bikram yoga part time.”
What are you working on now?
“My current album is an electronic dance album. I write the music, perform all instruments, vocals, produce, engineer — I do everything. This is my first under the name ‘Fits of Genius.’
“The first track is titled ‘Say’ and is available via fitsofgenius.com for free. The track is also available on iTunes and Amazon as well a deluxe version on the website.”
How did you hear about the Unstuck app?
“One of my best friends in the world noticed I was looking for clarity on how to finish a project and passed it on to me. I tried it and was immediately hooked. It’s making me answer questions I never ask myself.”
What’s was the project you were stuck on?
“Two years ago, I got Kickstarter funds for my album. Ten months into it, the drives were erased, and the backups, too — completely destroyed. I spent three months not knowing what to do, thinking maybe it’s a sign that I’m going in the wrong direction — I had 20 different paths I was going in.”
How were you acting in this stuck moment?
“Like an Ad Libber. I’m always flying by the seat of my pants. I have so many things in mind so I go with the flow but can’t get anything done like that.
“It made me focus on the most important points of what I want to accomplish with the album. Narrow my choices down, and then prioritize and put an order to what I do. It helped me set up this plan, and I’ve stuck to it.”
How else have you used the app?
“Mostly for my music. One of the songs I wrote is a story, and I kind of used Unstuck in the characters’ shoes to come up with an idea.
“I also used the tools ‘Mirror, Mirror’ and ‘Visualize It’ together to create the spark for another song I’m using on the album.
“And I used the app to guide me through my design decisions and to help make the choices for song release order.”
How often do you get stuck?
“I get stuck all the time. Varies on a scale of 1 to 10. I probably get seriously stuck once or twice a week.”
“I think I’ve known I’ve been stuck for many years, but I never put a name to it. I just called it frustration. At first, I thought ‘I’m not stuck I’m getting all this stuff done!’
“The app has made a small but fundamental change to the way I think. I’m starting to recognize when I’m stuck in a moment and my behavior is changing because of it. If you get kicked in the butt in just the right amount, it can push you in the right direction.”
How do you know when you’re stuck?
“I call it the endless-loop syndrome. In music, in particular, when I’ve been listening to same eight bars over and over, I get frustrated, look to the distance, and it becomes hazy.”
What’s it like to get unstuck?
“A light comes on and fireworks goes off in my brain.”
If you could change one thing about Unstuck, it would be:
“I would like tickler reminders every once in a while, asking if I’m stuck.”
You can download the free Unstuck iPad app here.
#by the Unstuck Team #Unstuck in Action #Ad Libber
Unstuck in Action: Practicing mindful productivity
Name: Mike Vardy
Age: 38
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Occupation: Writer, talker, and productivityist. Recently published “The Front Nine: How To Start The Year You Want Anytime You Want”
What is a productivityist?
“It’s a person who is a productivity enthusiast. It kind of started out as a joke. I was doing sketch comedy, holding a job at Costco as a department supervisor, and had a family. Trying to manage all of my time, I needed to adopt some systems. But I found that I didn’t get anymore productive, I just learned about more and more systems. So I started Eventualism.com to parody productivity the way Stephen Colbert parodies politics. The site got noticed by David Allen [author of “Getting Things Done”] and I asked him to write for it. Soon after, I got really into the topic and became the very thing I was making fun of. At that point, Eventualism.com was put out to pasture because you really can’t satirize what you are.”
Passionate about: “Performing, writing, and being a husband and father. One reason I left working for others is I wanted to show my family you can do what you love to do, make a living at it, and make no apologies. Even if you don’t make a ton of money, it shows your kids that you can be happy all the same.”
How did you hear about the Unstuck app?
“I think I heard about Unstuck through my channels at Lifehack or one of the sites I was writing for. It was at a time when apps of this nature were just starting to come out, and none were executing what Unstuck was in a way that was pleasing and compelling to finish.
“One of the things I’ve been working on is this whole idea of ‘doing productive’ vs. ‘being productive.’ People spend time checking off boxes. Unstuck will help you check off the right boxes as opposed to just checking off boxes. We have so many productivity apps and systems that are trying to drive us to more; Unstuck says ‘Don’t do more; do what you’re supposed to be doing and take that to the next level.’ Essentially, Unstuck is helping to usher in an era mindful productivity.”
How often do you get stuck?
“I probably get stuck about once a month. The reason isn’t because I don’t know what to do, it’s that I have so many ideas that I’m trying to figure out which to put first. Instead of my next book idea, I should be promoting first book, or making Productivityist.com better. It’s not the doing, but the deciding what to do.”
How do you know when you’re stuck?
“When I’m doing those little ‘busywork’ things, like going through my email or cleaning my desk.”
What’s it like to get unstuck?
“It’s liberating. Makes you feel like you know what you’re doing. It gives you confidence, and that helps in so many ways. You feel you can take on more. Do better with the stuff you have.”
What have you used Unstuck for?
“The biggest one, as I was working through the book project, was ‘What else can I do with the book?’
“You have to have additional products to spin off from the book, and I didn’t know what ones to go with and where to begin. I was acting like an Ad Libber, which is funny because I do have roots in improvisation. Unstuck told me I needed to make a game plan. That was a big thing. I went through the plan, and it was great because I could refer back to it. I kind of got everything done in the order of the plan, either by hook or by crook. It created clarity, and that’s what I loved.
“I’m a big believer in disconnecting in order to better connect. Disconnecting with Unstuck removes you from what you’re doing and focuses you on the roadblock…or what could be a roadblock. I use the app when I feel like I’m going to get stuck. That’s the nice thing about technology: It’s there to help you and you can think outside of the box with it. Unstuck takes you off the mind-set of checking things off, and lets you get back to center.”
If you could change one thing about Unstuck, it would be:
“I like what it does and how it fits into workflow. Don’t know how much I’d want it to change. Maybe there could be a way to get a quick start with less clicks. That would make it really accessible for a guy like me.”
You can download the free Unstuck iPad app here.
#by the Unstuck Team #Unstuck in Action #Ad Libber
Unstuck in Action: Time for a culture change
Name: Meredith Caraher
Age: 33
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Occupation: Currently, owner of MZCDesign, which provides logo design, graphic design, photography, retouching, and strategy to startups in the fashion and music industries. Previously, creative director at a fashion company.
Passionate about: “Creative problem solving. What I really like to do is work with people and come up with solution to problems. It’s where I’m happiest. I like to apply abstract ideas to real problems.”
How did you hear about the Unstuck app?
“A friend told me about it and it rang a bell with the way I approach my own work and life. I was curious to see how it worked.”
How often do you get stuck?
“Everyone gets stuck. Sometimes you can be a little stuck or really stuck. I don’t get really stuck all that often, but there are little things that come up in my day to day.”
How do you know when you’re stuck?
“I have a hard time concentrating. I feel very fatigued and don’t know what to do with myself.”
What’s it like to get unstuck?
“It’s like drinking strong coffee, or when the camera suddenly goes into focus. Everything becomes clear, like putting on a pair of glasses.”
What was the stuck moment that you used the app for?
“I started with a personal problem but it ended up being a lot more about my professional choices than the personal issues that were happening in my life. I had been having really low energy during the days and feeling disoriented—a sign of depression for me. I couldn’t concentrate, and was exhausted all the time. The app told me I was a Deflated Doer.
“When I was going through the cards, it made me realize how much I miss working with people. I found myself feeling very lonely while doing the app. It sat in my mind for a week or so, and developed into the realization that I hadn’t been working with people for over a year and was feeling isolated, wishing to have people to bounce ideas off of.
“I don’t think it’s healthy for me to freelance from home. I’m just not happy with that kind of routine. It took about a year before it started to drain me. At first there was the excitement of getting established and working with different industries. Once that rush was over and I had a routine, the routine itself became the problem. I found myself being tempted to contact other freelancers to create a collective.”
What did you do next?
“I started taking onsite contracts and doing some classes for fun — anything that would get me into a group, including a couple of unpaid internships. I found that my energy, my inspiration, and my productivity skyrocketed. It was like I was reborn.
“Even so, freelancing has been a worthwhile experiment for me. Now I need to close out my contracts and find fulltime work. I’ve started researching the types of places that encourage creative communities.”
If you could change one thing about Unstuck, it would be:
“I like that the interface is different from what I would personally design, but if I were to hand tailor a tool for myself it would be a flow chart that allows me to move ideas around so I can connect and visualize them in different ways.”
If you would like to be interviewed for the Unstuck in Action series, contact us at ideas@unstuck.com.
You can download the free Unstuck iPad app here.
#by the Unstuck Team #Unstuck in Action #Deflated Doer
Unstuck in Action: Exploring the options
Name: Michelle
Age: 28
Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY
Current job: Office manager at a financial firm
Previous job: Exercise specialist at a boutique health care fitness facility
Passionate about: Her neighborhood, Pilates, breathwork, and music. “I took classical piano lessons for eight years but now I want to learn more jazz and blues. I’m addicted to Spotify to find new music!”
How did you hear about the Unstuck app?
“My fiancée recommended it to me after I quit my job and was looking for another career. I didn’t know what to expect, but the great thing about the app is that it’s very guided.”
How do you know when you’re stuck?
“I get very withdrawn and depressed. Then I know awareness needs to be brought to the situation.”
What’s it like to get unstuck?
“It’s empowering. Even if you don’t have an exact answer of what your next step will be, it’s empowering to pinpoint where you are.”
What was your stuck moment?
“I got to the point in my fitness career where I knew I didn’t want to pursue a future in it. I knew it for months, and then it came to a point where I quit but I didn’t have another job. In order for change to activate, I needed to close the chapter. It was an energy shift so I could find out what the next chapter going to be.”
How were you acting in your stuck moment?
“I was a Drifter. I found pinpointing my emotions and where I was at the most helpful part of the app. When the results come up, you can’t make any excuses. You said what you felt and the result is in response to you. You can’t be in denial.
“When I used the ‘Mirror, Mirror’ tool, I realized I only had two options — technology and music — but didn’t know how to pursue them. It made me realize I need to get out there and expose myself to what’s possible.”
So what did you do?
“I’m exploring within those two fields, educating myself with eyes and ears open to other possibilities. It’s like: Here is the blank canvas, and I’m still buying the paints, still getting the supplies, and then I want to paint as soon as it’s made clear to me.
“I downloaded iTunes University computer science 101 from Harvard. And I subscribed to Wired and Fast Company to keep up with the latest. 3D printing sounds really interesting.
“Music as a profession isn’t necessarily practical right now. I would need to go back to school. But I’m working with a teacher to explore jazz, blues, and improvisation on the piano.
“Now I have an action plan to pursue, so I don’t feel stuck.”
But you did get a new job in the meantime?
“Yes. I quit the fitness job in the end of May, and started my new job in July. In between, I did temping.”
If you could change one thing about Unstuck, it would be:
“Interestingly enough, what I would change is most likely what helps me the most. Although I realized being ‘forced’ to choose three feelings or complete the exercises in that moment is what was and is so freeing, I wish I could peruse through the whole application without answering the questions.”
#Unstuck in Action #drifter #by the Unstuck Team
Unstuck in Action: Living more purposefully
Name: Michael Abata
Age: 30
Location: Minneapolis
Occupation: Trend and competitive intelligence manager for Target. “I spend much of my day combining the empathy and data of consumers with macro environmental, economic, and competitive trend research to develop relevant and innovative business growth strategies for many of our internal business teams at Target.”
Passionate about: The arts, kayaking, and volunteering. “I’ve been volunteering for nine years with Ten Thousand Villages, which works with artisan groups in third-world countries to bring their products to stores. Right now, I’m helping with their social media strategy for the St. Paul store.”
How did you hear about the Unstuck app?
“At the PSFK Conference [in October 2011] when Keith Yamashita spoke about it. I was sitting next to him for most of the conference, and didn’t realize he was speaking there. I was like, ‘Holy buckets! That’s what I need!’ When somebody can put together a framework to help you identify what’s going on in your head, I get it. In my job, there’s so much going on that things can get fuzzy. Unstuck sounded like a great way to take a step back and really think about it.”
How often do you get stuck?
“People think getting stuck is a big life decision. At the [PSFK] presentation I had a realization that you can have stuck moments every day, and you need a break to step back to figure out why you’re thinking about something in a certain way…. It doesn’t mean you’re stupid, you just need a different perspective.”
How do you know when you’re stuck?
“For some of my bigger life moments — like what do I want to do when I grow up — if I’m thinking about it more than a day or two or it crosses my mind more than a few times in day, it’s a red flag for me.”
What’s it like to get unstuck?
I have some clarity. I’ve gone into my head, sorted some things out, and identified what the feeling might actually mean. Sometimes nothing’s there, it was just a lot of noise. Or, I’ll see where I’m at, and can start thinking about how I want to proceed. It feels pretty awesome to be able to do that. I think a lot of people just ignore it.
What’s your latest stuck moment?
“Two months ago, I was doing a lot of traveling West Coast cities for work. Being in these cities rehashed feelings I had a year ago about wanting to explore new opportunities on the West Coast. When my travels died down, I started to question if Minneapolis and Target was still the right place for this moment in my life. So I went to a local coffee shop to sort through my thoughts using the [Unstuck] app.”
How were you acting in this stuck moment?
“As a Deflated Doer. I needed to get restoked. I was up in the air, uninspired, and hazy. I had promised myself I would live with more intent and purpose, and the app said to me that it might time to re-evaluate.”
What did you do next?
“I went through the Shake Up Your Routine tool to think about what I wanted to stop and what I wanted to start doing differently in my life. Beyond the app, I revisited some of the notes I’d taken a year ago about where I wanted to go in my career.
“I’ve definitely re-evaluated my attitude at work and about Minneapolis. I took on new projects that intellectually challenge me and make me excited. And my mindset has shifted in a way where I’m thriving and staying motivated. At the same time, I’m intentionally being spontaneous with friends to explore Minneapolis, traveling the world, and staying consistently active in my career exploration.”
If you could change one thing about Unstuck, it would be:
“I’d love for it to be on the iPhone. I find yourself in moments like standing in long coffee line or on the bus, and my mind starts to wander. The tool could be really helpful then.”
If you would like to be interviewed for the Unstuck in Action series, contact us at ideas@unstuck.com.
You can download the free Unstuck iPad app here.
#by the Unstuck team #deflated doer #Unstuck in Action
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