Make lists your best friend
Good day! Yes, I have had a few of them this past week! Gee, it’s been great being away from the computer except for a few minutes to go over my emails with a light touch.
I got to spend the weekend in Los Olivos at my friends’ new house which is on 20 acres all blending with the surrounding hills and valleys and old oak trees. And I am still smiling inside when reflecting back to the sound and sightings of so many birds; not too many like in Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Birds, but just picture-perfect. From the woodpeckers to the whirring of the hummingbirds just reminding me how happy freedom can make our heart sing when we take the time to listen.
And I’m going to make this blog kind of short because I want to really let my few days of bliss and tranquility sink into my psyche and not to allow it to get lost by my running back in to the grind of “doing” my life. By the way, this “being in the moment” concept is really essential, especially with the election adding more pressure and angst to an already complex year.
So, here’s the skinny for this week’s message:
My girlfriends husband asked me to help him with assessing whether he is doing enough, not doing enough, is there or are there other things he can be doing in his life going forward? A little background is that they are financially very comfortable and can go, do and be whenever and wherever they want.
They live what some call a “privileged” life giving them a whole lot of flexibility. However, one needs to remember from the outside looking in, no matter where you go there you are…too little, too much of something or possibly none of either can bring up issues in our minds that cause moments of hesitation, doubt, fears, uncertainties, etc.
Naturally I couldn’t answer for him but this is where I got to put on my coaching hat and ask questions to assist in guiding him to Aha’s like “Was it that you feel something was missing in your life; are you sensing there is more that you need to do in any of the many areas you are already attending to; is there something you love to do but are neglecting; if you feel passionate about one of the things you are doing could it be that it is necessary to move it up the list of ‘Want to Do’s’ by giving it more of a priority status?”
After short and carefully crafted exploration I shared with him that this may call for making a list…yes, that dreaded list where you have to take some quality time and assess and digest what you are doing or deem necessary.
And just what is the reason to write them down vs just think about them is why? Our brain deals with so many thoughts a day that to bring more thoughts into this diatribe may well mean that they will get lost in translation, so to speak.
Lists made for shopping or errands are easy but ones made for the sake of order/focus/mental integration have been shown, through studies, that people perform better when they actually write things down. The physical shaping of the words when writing helps us to remember more efficiently/effectively.
Writing also frees the mind from adding on to the mental tasks of things to do; it helps the mind to deal more effectively and gently aids us to engage and remember the “what was it that I was suppose to do’ without taxing it any further. It’s a way to create structure which humans for the most part love to hate but need to a certain degree.
When I decided to write my book, Over 40 Fit and Fab, I immediately felt my stomach drop. Just the act of articulating the words, “I’m going to write a book” was daunting enough to cause me to align with becoming a Doubting-Thomas’. But when I was guided by my own coach to start by making a list of topics, etc. I gained clarity and lost my inhibition to move forward.
I’m not sure if my friends’ husband will actually make his list but hopefully if these issues still find him in a state of perplexion he will dip his toes in because in today’s world we can use all the guidance, focus and self-awareness we can muster.
And we can all benefit from a coach!!
4 simple steps to making a list:
*Define your objective.
*Break it down and proceed with baby steps
*Prioritize
*Dream
To your brilliance unfolding with lots of loving,
P.S. It would be my honor to be of assistance in helping you move on with creating your lists. Click here and sign up for my free 30 minute exploration today. It’s a total WIN-WIN starting now!