Secret Productivity Tool: Tarot Cards

___

BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? CLICK HERE to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

___

I never get writer’s block.

It’s from years as a TV journalist, when I had to produce content on demand. Sometimes in a matter of minutes, we would have to put a whole show or segment together.

It’s ingrained in me to produce something, no matter what. I’m used to writing for a purpose, with a deadline in mind or an end game. I rarely, if ever, write “just because” or for “fun.” 

But… all that changed recently. And it’s all because of tarot cards.

Yep!

Let me tell you how, because it turns out that tarot cards can actually be an amazing productivity tool.

___

___

Every Friday, I set aside a chunk of time for writing. It’s a practice I started when I had to produce my second book, Listful Living, on a short deadline. Years later, I’m still doing it with my writing buddy Bev Sanders.

So during our regular Friday writing session, I decided to give writing for fun a try… But I was actually stumped on what to write about! Without an assignment or a prompt, it can be hard to get going.

But it turned out the answer was right in front of me. And that answer was (you guessed it!) tarot cards.

I recently started taking tarot card reading classes, and it’s an absolute delight. It’s strangely practical and surprising in the best ways. People think of tarot as witchy, but that’s actually a misconception. They have a long history and many different applications.

My tarot teacher, Kenneth James, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. He received a Ph.D. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, and a Diploma in Analytical Psychology from the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago.

His approach is all about learning about yourself and using the cards for self-development and inspiration. And it turns out they’re a great tool for getting yourself unstuck and thinking from new perspectives! (If this sounds like something you want to try, you can register for his class right here!).

Ken uses the ideas of psychotherapist Carl Jung to help guide learners to connect with the idea that knowledge you need is already within you. Tarot cards can help you connect with your “inner knowing” by giving you symbols and concepts to consider. 

So I pulled a card to get started with my writing exercise to see what would come up.

Here’s what I pulled:

💫 First card: Ace of Pentacles (New financial opportunity, abundance, manifestation)

👿 Second card: The Devil (Negativity, restriction, addiction)

🪴 Third card: Death (Endings, change, transformation)

What a great prompt for a story — it has a beginning, middle and end! I love lists and this was a different kind of list for me.

I wrote a story based on these cards. We did two rounds of 25 minutes like we always do, borrowing from the productivity tool the Pomodoro Technique. It was such a fun process and I will definitely be doing this again. 

And it’s not only for writers — this works across the board. Whether you’re stuck on the next step with a project or looking for inspiration for your business, reframing your ideas or questions is essential. Whether you need help with writing or you have another area you want to boost productivity in, this approach can really help you consider things from a new perspective. It’s unconventional — but so are all the best productivity tricks!

___

BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? CLICK HERE to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.

___