I read an article about how a manager at Microsoft organizes the home screen on her smart phone.

She groups the apps by the way she uses them, as I’m sure most of us do, and by color, which sounds challenging.

She also uses a separate phone for work, so when she’s working, she’s not looking at, well, other stuff.

I’m guessing you don’t have a separate work phone, but do you do anything to keep your work separate from the rest of your life?

On your phone, do you have folders or screens set up for work apps, and if you do, do you assiduously avoid them when you’re not working?

On your computer or tablet, do you have groups of apps or browser tabs for different parts of your life?

Do you have a separate work computer? If you work in an office, do you often take work home with you?

Me? One phone, I work from home, and I don’t draw any hard lines.

You might find me playing a game in the middle of the day, or doing work at 1am. I might take a day off in the middle of the week, or work through an entire three-day weekend.

That’s just how I roll.

I can see why people need to keep things separate. Work when they work, shut it off when they go home.

My daughter does that. But then, she has a separate work phone and computer. And she’s not an attorney.

Just saying.

How to get more referrals from other professionals

Just when you thought it was safe to get back to work, I have another list idea for you. Actually, more than one.

Hold on. You might like this.

And no, it doesn’t matter which productivity system or app or planner you use. You can do this with tags or notebooks or paper.

This is about the subject of projects.

If you’re like me, you have a lot of them, and if you’re like me, your list often becomes unmanageable.

Which project should I work on right now? What do I have on tap after that?

Note, when I say “projects,” I’m not talking about a GTD-type project, i.e., anything with more than one step. I usually lump those in with tasks. I’m talking about things with bigger heft and longer time-lines.

Anyway, in order to gain some clarity and peace of mind, I recently took my project list and divided it into two lists:

(1) “Current Projects”. This is for projects I’m working on now (or should be). Having this list in front of me helps me focus and keeps me from neglecting things I need to work on.

Each project has a list of tasks and sub-tasks, notes, resources, ideas, and so on.

I try to limit this to 3 projects at a time.

(2) Next Projects. This is for the projects I intend to work on once I’ve completed the current projects. This helps me to prepare for those projects, providing a place to record ideas, notes, and so on.

Out of sight, but in a safe place.

Feeling more relaxed already.

But then I realized that I have other projects I need to put on a list, lest they get buried and forgotten. So. . .

(3) Ongoing & Recurring Projects. This is for things like writing my newsletter, updating my website, promoting something, content creation, and other responsibilities.

Nice. Every project has a home.

Alas, as I sat back to admire my work, something else occurred to me. What about projects I plan to do in the future?

Behold:

(4) Future projects. For projects I plan to do, but not “now” and not “next”.

Crazy, huh? Wait, don’t leave. I haven’t told you about my someday/maybe list.

Got referrals?

As a kid, I had a favorite pen–the Parker Jotter, stainless steel with a thick barrel.

I thought it was cool looking, like something James Bond would use. I liked the way it felt in my hands and the way it wrote.

I just checked Jeff’s store and sure enough, they still make it.

That was a long time ago. Now I buy whatever’s on sale.

Probably because I do most of my writing today on my computer and yes, I have my favorite writing apps.

But I don’t want to talk about pens or apps right now. I want to talk about chalk.

Chalk?

The other day, a video came up in my feed with the curiosity-inducing title, Why the World’s Best Mathematicians Are Hoarding Chalk.

I had to know.

Do people still use blackboards (and chalk?)? I thought everyone had moved to whiteboards and markers.

Is chalk on the endangered species list?

What’s going on?

It turns out that a certain Japanese company makes the “best” chalk in the world and the company is going out of business.

They make a chalk “to die for”. Okay, that’s me speaking. It writes better and is easier to use than anything made by anyone else and when it was announced that it would no longer be sold, math folks started hoarding it.

One mathematician had put away enough chalk, he reckoned, to last him ten years.

That’s a lot of chalk.

We love our favorite tools, don’t we? Our favorite pens, our favorite apps, our favorite chalk.

Do we work better when we use them?

I think we think we do and maybe that’s all that matters.

Evernote is my favorite note taking app

When you’re fresh out of ideas for bringing in more clients, when you don’t have a clue about what to write in your newsletter, if you’re looking for a way to breathe life into your practice or personal life, I have a suggestion.

Stop what you’re doing and do something else.

Something different. Something new. Something you don’t usually do.

Go to a museum, a ball game, or a park you’ve never been to. Talk to people you don’t know. Read a book about a subject you know nothing about.

Change your routine and your atmosphere and watch what happens.

You may be out of ideas but the world isn’t. Ideas are everywhere–you just can’t see them at the moment because you’re caught up in the routine and minutiae of your day.

So, if you’re out of mental gas, especially if you’re feeling down about it, don’t worry. In a few hours or a few days, you can refill your tank and get back on the road.

More good news.

Sometimes, you can do the same thing in a few minutes.

When you’re in the middle of something and feeling stuck or tired or unmotivated, don’t just take a break, do something completely different.

If you’re writing an article, go play with your cat for a few minutes. If you’re reading and taking notes, take a quick trip to the store, walk around the block, or make a couple of calls.

It’s called “pattern interruption” and it can help you refocus, refresh, or find new ideas.

When I’m done sending this to you, I’m going to get another cup of coffee and start working on my next big idea.

When was the last time a client sent you a referral?