I have a confession to make however.  At the end of a bad day, my eyes will skittishly wander towards a list only to streak away faster than you can say ‘boo’.  Sometimes I get sick of my lists.  They feel constricting, claustrophobic and controlling.

That’s when I know I need to throw them out and to’odle.  Yes.  To’odle.  As in doing things that let my mind wander, my body relax.  When I have no sense of time, either how fast or slow it’s passing, I know I’m to’odling.

Chris Guillebeau says we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.  I think he’s spot on.

Here’s the kicker though –> to reach our dreams and our goals we first off have to be clear about where we’re headed.  Once the horizon is clear and we know where we’re headed, lists help us clarify the steps to get there.  AND if all of our time is programmed, structured, and tightly controlled then we miss out on spontaneity, unforeseen opportunities.  Instead of being flexible and open to possibilities we become brittle, with our lists controlling us instead of the other way round.

So while I’m all about list making (as my husband can attest to, shaking his head in dismay  while asking how we can live in the same house, the anti-list maker that he is) the path to our dreams is far from a straight line.

Sixth and final, in a series, this post celebrates what some remarkably interesting folk have on their to’odle lists.

Make note of how you feel and what you’re thinking when you read about their to’odling.  May it encourage you to to’odle yourself.  Because we all need time that’s free floating, when the incessant tick of the omnipresent clock is but a beautifully muted beat to your own drum.

The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.

To’odle – or ‘what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax‘

From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –

Ohhh, I watch tv on hulu.com, read fabulously trashy magazines in waiting rooms, listen to new music and add things that make me feel giddy to my amazon.com wishlist for giggles and what I call constructive procrastination.

From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – 

Anything by Alan Watts and most TED Talks. And Rumi poetry.

From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –

I surf facebook and twitter too much, even though it is sometimes a time suck I think it ultimately juices me up and helps me get my to-do list done.

From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference -

Walk the dog.  Take a bath.

From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –

Think about food.

From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –

Snuggle my dog or go for coffee with dear friends and talk about little nothings.

And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –

Get lost in the creative mind of a fiction writer — read more, like I used to, just for fun with indirect learning…

From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –

I DANCE! Put on some 40s tunes, or salsa and dance myself silly. It’s a real mood lifter, and great for the figger! LOL If not dancing, I may read, go for a walk or invite some women friend over to hunker down and do those women tribal things like give each other mani pedis, laugh, swap stories, ideas and mutual support. Wine, chocolate, popcorn are definitely options. Sometimes I make postcards using funny headlines and colored papers.

Note from Lee-Anne: Sam didn’t actually submit any to’odle items however her to-done list sounds like it fits the bill, which is pretty darn inspirational.

From Michelle Royle, one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist -

Check my email, read websites, ISM/BBM, eat, watch tv, sleep, nap, clean, cook, exercise, socialize, read, makes lists, sign up for courses, phone my mother.

From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway -

I sing, write poetry, dance tango, visit girlfriends, go for walks in nature.

And you? What’s on your to to’odle list?

Happy to’odling.

Read the already covered segments from these same folks:

To do

• things I want to start doing, being or having this month

To continue doing

• these work, so I should continue doing these

To stop doing

• I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore

To not do

• I know I want to stay away from these

To done

• yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.

To’odle

• what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax

To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template.

Have lots of time on your hands?  More than enough resources to do what you want to do?  Do you regularly feel in charge, competent, controlled? Is relaxed your middle name?

Yes?  Then please send me the name of the deserted island you’re living on.

No?  Then welcome to the rest of the world.

Fifth in a series, this post celebrates what some pretty spiffy folk have on their to done lists.  Things they’ve accomplished, checked off their to do lists.  We’re so busy focusing on what we’ve yet to do, that burgeoning, never completed list, that we rarely take time to pause.  Pause.  Pause and realize, really realize, how much we’ve accomplished.

Make note of how you feel when you read about their accomplishments.  Impressed?  Proud?  Intrigued?

That’s how I want you to feel when you take a look at your own to done list.  Take a read then go make your own to done list.  Afterwards listen carefully. You’ll hear me shaking my pom poms for you!

The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.

To Done – or ‘yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these.‘

From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –

I am truly proud of launching Pitch Perfect my first digital workshop.  Speaking in five cities to over 1200 people makes me feel like a strutting peacock, too :)

From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – 

Scored a major book deal with Random House to launch an all-new version of The Fire Starter Sessions. Put out regular love and sharp thinking on WhiteHotTruth.com

From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –

I launched 7 CRAVE books in 7 cities (one of them in Amsterdam), delivered my first keynote talk on my upcoming book, participated in the winning team at startup weekend, rode bikes through the city streets of Amsterdam with my husband.

From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference -

Formulating a perfect schedule for my self that works for me.

From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –

Refuse to be judged.

From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –

Reestablished myself in a new career path, built a network in a new country and field of work, and I love it!!!

And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –

Taking actions that back up my desire to be a great life partner and engaged family guy — so got engaged and now having fun making plans for future. And qualified for Boston marathon so signed up and running it on April 18.

From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –

I DANCE!  Put on some 40s tunes, or salsa and dance myself silly.  It’s a real mood lifter, and great for the figger!  LOL  If not dancing, I may read, go for a walk or invite some women friend over to hunker down and do those women tribal things like give each other mani pedis, laugh, swap stories, ideas and mutual support. Wine, chocolate, popcorn are definitely options.  Sometimes I make postcards using funny headlines and colored papers.

From Michelle Royle, one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist -

I’m humbled by the opportunities I have had with the work I have done, I realized this past year, that I have always had opportunities to serve and I have done that well.  I am so grateful and surprised always, at the windows and doors in organizations, communities and countries that have opened up and been so welcoming to my contribution.

I’m proud of my inquisitive, willing to learn, tireless want to always do better, parenting I stand for – for my kids and my self

I am proud of the quality of my relationship with my former husband.   I’m proud of my shaking-all-the-way, willingness to follow my ‘gut’.

From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway -

I am proud that I traveled alone in 2010 for 6 months to South America and Costa Rica. I remodeled my kitchen and started a new business venture in 2010.   I became a better friend with myself.

And you? What’s on your to done list?

Watch for upcoming and already covered segments from these same folks:

To do

• things I want to start doing, being or having this month

To continue doing

• these work, so I should continue doing these

To stop doing

• I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore

To not do

• I know I want to stay away from these

To done

• yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.

To’odle

• what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax

To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template.

Stay tuned for the final compilation – the to’odle lists.

Chances are if I ask what’s on your to-do list you’ll be able to pull 1 (or 10) out of your Blackberry, IPhone, daytimer and/or nightstand.  Or out of your brain matter if you’re not the scribing type.  Chances are your list is long.  Chances are it weighs you down.

What about lightening the load?  What about creating a list of things not to do?

Fourth in a series, this post collates what the following folk have on their not to do lists.  They’re keeping their plates clear of clutter by not filling them up with stuff that doesn’t keep them interested, intrigued and on track.

The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.

Take a look.  See what speaks to you and what doesn’t.  How does it affect your own not to do list?

Just as with the stop doing lists, who knows what will happen when the resulting space is created!

To Not Do – or ‘I know I want to stay away from these‘

From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –

Hmmm, not much comes to mind here. I think this is sort of aligned with a post I did on regret I can’t think of any really big stops because I’ve learned a lot by running red lights this year:)

From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – 

Giving yes’es to unqualified requests for meetings. Let me explain… WHY do you want to meet? WHY should we have tea? Exactly WHY are you interested? A lot of meetings could happen in fifteen minutes on the phone, or be avoided entirely if more clarity happened at the invitational stage.

From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –

I don’t want to overbook myself and feel overwhelmed.

From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference -

Worry.

From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –

Spend every evening at the computer.

From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –

Eating too much and exercising too little.

And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –

That energy sapping, mind numbing television.

From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –

I want to stay away from naysayers with their incessant messages of conflict and doom. I’m not a cock-eyed optimist. Life is richer for the shadows along the path. It’s all in how we see.

From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist -

To not eat Potato Chips; to not listen to married mens’ sagas about how crummy their marriages are.  To not not do the things I sign up to do; to stop hanging out with people who focus their energy on negativity; to stop doing things, relationships, people and work when it no longer feel like its a mutual positive gain.

From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway -

Criticism and complaining.

And you? What’s on your not to do list?

Watch for upcoming and already covered segments from these same folks:

To do

• things I want to start doing, being or having this month

To continue doing

• these work, so I should continue doing these

To stop doing

• I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore

To not do

• I know I want to stay away from these

To done

• yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.

To’odle

• what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax

To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template

Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to done lists.

Stop in the name of … love?  Peace? Sanity?  Self-preservation?

Yes.  Stop.

Third in a series, this post collects some wonderful musings of what some equally wonderful folk want to stop doing.  Far from filling up their plates with more to-do’s, these are things they want to take off their plates.

The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists.  See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.

Click here for a look at the to-do lists of the folks below and here for their to-continue lists.

I hope you find inspiration for holding up and waving your own stop sign.  Who knows what will happen when the resulting space is created!

To Stop Doing – or ‘I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore’

From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –

I commit to stop questioning myself around adventures. For example, several workshops, classes and trips I took last year were really wonderful. The lead in to making those decisions was like a game of mental ping pong (played by Olympians who never miss): yes, no, yes, no, oohhh! good shot, yes, no. It was exhausting.

From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – 

I have a “No Way Jose” list. I: don’t do red eye flights, don’t speak for free unless it’s for fundraising for charity, don’t do client work on weekends.

From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –

I wrote a book this last year about the 20 businesses I have started over a 30 year span and discovered some common lessons learned that I have been repeating.  What I would like to do this year is pay attention to my top lessons learned and stop making the same mistakes.

From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference -

Worrying.  Packing too many things into my work time (Because I get frustrated when I don’t accomplish all that I wanted to do).

From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –

Thinking & not Acting.  Judging.  Presuming.  Assuming.

From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –

Arguing with my mother!

And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) - 

Making business decisions to please others rather than to remain true to my own pursuits and interests.

From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –

Being lazy about exercising.  Judging myself instead of taking more leaps of faith.  I happen to love The Fool in the Tarot deck and adore Charlie Chaplin.  Both follow their instincts and are willing to ‘jump off the cliff.’  If things go wrong, they pick themselves up and start all over.  Their behavior implies the willingness to be vulnerable and the ability to laugh at one’s mistakes.

From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist -

Staying up late.  Beating my self up for ‘failing’.

From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway -

Worrying about money.

And you?  What’s on your to-stop doing list?

Watch for upcoming segments from these same folks and/or already covered posts:

To do

• things I want to start doing, being or having  this month

To continue doing

• these work, so I should continue doing these

To stop doing

• I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore

To not do

• I know I want to stay away from these

To done

• yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these.  This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.

To’odle

• what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax

To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template

Stay tuned for the next compilation – the not to-do lists.

Wondering what this year will bring to your door?  Wondering which paths to embark on and which to pass?

Based on a series of posts I did last year on my to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists, this year I thought I’d ask which particular paths a bunch of my best pals are bent on (or not) following.

(See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.)

This is the second in a series of posts – today’s is on to-continue doing.  (Click here for a look at the first, the to-do lists of the folks below.)  Yep – you don’t always have to start from scratch.  You can continue with things that are working for you (and pat yourself on the back for already doing some things that work well for you).

I hope you find inspiration for creating your own continuing path for the  year.

To Continue Doing – or things that work & I want to continue doing

From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –

I would LOVE to continue taking classes related to physical movement and/or performance. It seems that every time I get out there (took an improv class last year) or “in here” (my body), good things just happen.

From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama – 

Batching my time (aka work hard/play hard scheduling.) Basing my business plans on how I want to actually feel. Drawing with my kid (which is when some of the best insights surface).

From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –

My house improvements so I enjoy my home environment for the first time in 17 years.  I want to continue to go for 3 walks a week around my neighborhood with my husband, friends and new acquaintances.   This gives me so much fuel!

From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference -

Exercising daily. Spending focused time with my kids.

From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –

Making ‘own’ time for my family.

From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –

My ongoing quest to stretch more deeply into being my own authentic self while at the same time to stretch more widely in my capacity to connect with others.

And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) - 

Active lifestyle combined with a far from perfect but quite decent eating habits. Lots of exercise with lots of veges like good ol’ broccoli; fresh fruit and salads balances off the glass of red wine or dark chocolate, or even both.

From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –

Practice abundance by giving thanks for each piece of ‘gold’ that appears in my daily life – laughter, a hug, the palette of greens surrounding my house; the river that runs along the edge of the meadow, an email from my daughter, the alchemy of cooking and sharing a meal with friends.

Being alive!  Meditating.  Some days, I sit in silence or chant mantras that hold the energy of countless prayers of others who’ve gone before me.  With meditation I’m more alert, more serene, and freer to tap into my creativity.

From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist -

Exercising.  Staying Curious. Choosing how I spend my time and with whom, with intention.  Keep drinking wine. Saying Yes – even if it looks impossible – but it speaks to my heart.

From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway -

Visualizing, scripting, being appreciative of myself and others, applying the principles of law of attraction.

Continued self-care in order to serve.  That’s what I hear.

And you?  What’s on your to-continue doing list?

Watch for upcoming segments from these same folks and/or already covered posts:

To do

• things I want to start doing, being or having  this month

To continue doing

• these work, so I should continue doing these

To stop doing

• I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore

To not do

• I know I want to stay away from these

To done

• yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these.  This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.

To’odle

• what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax

To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template

Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to-stop doing lists.

What appears real in our hurry flurry world often isn’t.   Authenticity is big.   Being real is in.

Not being true is passe.  Being fake is to be a flake.

How do you tell the difference though?  What appears shiny and true can either be a golden nugget or a trashy piece of styrofoam.

Making time to reflect helps.  Doing an exercise from Danielle LaPorte’s (of White Hot Truth) Firestarter E-book is even better.  Here’s a taste of an exercise you’ll find in her book.  Figure out how you want to feel and you’ll be able to tell the real deal.

STEP 1:
How do you want to feel in the realm of your career/livelihood/ vocation/work/wealth?

Do a stream of conscious riff. Concepts, words, feelings, images. Put them all on paper. Fill up both sides if a tsunami of desire floods you. Invest in yourself. Want what you want. Go.

STEP 2:
Pattern recognition

Study your list of desired feelings in your vocation/work/career/wealth. Read it over a few times.  Read it out loud if you’re inclined.  Sleep on it. Take it for a walk. What jumps out at you, feels warm, feels YES!, feels really important and valuable?

Circle the words or concepts that really turn you on.

The objective of this exercise: narrow your list down to 3 to 5 desired feelings.

Whittling it down, making tricky choices: Having a tough time choosing between, say, “creative” and “artistic”, or “strong” and “powerful”? Try this:

• Look up the definitions of words. Each word is its own planet and knowing the actual definition and origin can be instantly illuminating.

• Repetitive questioning. This is a potentially annoying, galvanizing little mind trick: keep asking yourself how a feeling feels.  Get underneath its skin. Like this: “So, what does confidence feel like? (Answer with the first thing that comes to mind.) It feels like winning. What does confidence feel like? It feels like being certain. What does confidence feel like? It feels like …. clarity.  Bingo.  What you really desire to feel is clarity.

• Write each word you’re considering on its own sticky note, even if it’s ten words.  Stick them on the fridge for a day, or rimming your computer monitor and see how they make you feel.  You’ll start to see how “confidence” is really summed up with the word “strong” or how “beautify, classy and elegant” are present in one word: “graceful”.  Toss the sticky notes that don’t make the cut and see what you’re left with after a few days.

• Set a deadline for yourself. “By Saturday, I’ll be clear on my core desired feelings in my career and that’s that.”

• Don’t sweat it. This isn’t a test.  You can change your mind later, have an a-ha moment, recalibrate it all when you wake up.

When you’re clear on how you want to feel finding the authentic amongst the fake is easier because you’ll be more authentic yourself.  Things get clearer.

Want to get in on more of Danielle’s offerings? Simply click the image below and you’ll be taken to her Firestarter page. And yes, if you buy the e-book I do get a cut. I offer up the best to the best. I hope you take advantage and enjoy it.

Do you have a hard time getting dreams out of your head and into reality?  Not sure what to do with inspiration when it hits mid-meeting or at midnight?

While you may be able to come up with new ideas, what to do with the pesky, flighty fellows is a whole other matter.  Based on a gobsmacking, stop the bus moment I had recently, where my future course was irrevocably altered, I’ve come up with 4 steps for how to get dreams out of your head and into reality.

First some background.

Recently I attended the Crave Business Development Symposium and was fortunate enough to have my business selected to be profiled throughout the day.

Translation: I got to have the laser bright lights of biz dev experts focus on me and Rock.Paper.Scissors all day.  When they talked branding, marketing, sales, and finance, the examples they used, the applications they made were all focused on moi.

Talk about heady.  Talk about blistering heat that that kind of focus produces.  I get giddy just thinking about it.  But I digress.

First out of the gate, Danielle LaPorte from White Hot Truth and Heather White of 2020 Communications illuminated a massive assumption I’d been making about distribution channels for my business.  I had previously thought the only way for folks to get their hands on my training content was either by my doing training face to face or by training others to deliver the content.  Not being interested in the latter I didn’t think about it any further.

Until they uncovered the hidden assumption.  The rest of the day was spent charting a whole new direction.

Leaving there I faced the challenge of how to make those great ideas a reality.  I came up with four ways to do just that:

• Post It Notes: grab a stack of Post It Notes and carry them with you everywhere.  When inspiration hits, write one idea down per post it.  Don’t edit, don’t fret, just get  your ideas down.  I started using the bigger notes (3X3) but then switched to the smaller notes (1.5X2) as I found them easier to manage.

• Foam core: Buy a foam core display board, you can get one here.  Take your burgeoning pile o’ stickies and sort them on the board.  You can sort them by all sorts of criteria.  Choose the one that makes sense to you.  I sorted mine by marketing ideas, product/service ideas, sales ideas and resources I’ll need to source.  See my example above.  Best of all, you can change the sorting as time goes on, taking advantage of the removable, replaceable stickies.  The foam core board is cheap, light, and it stands up for display (so you can marvel and coo at your brilliance).

• Light pen: Buy a pen that has a built in light. I found myself waking up several times in the middle of the night with blazing good ideas, only to have forgotten them in the morning.  This one looks good.  I’ve got it on order.  In the meantime I’m keeping a pad of paper by my bedside with a regular pen.

• Excel spreadsheet: Transfer all your post it notes to an excel spreadsheet & then categorize them.  I used the same categories as I did with the display board plus a critical one …. due date.  I’ve also added in how many hours I think each task is going to take me.  I use the list function in excel (oh how I can opine about this lovely feature) – as it lets me sort by due date, type of idea etc.  Now I have my workplan – what I need to do, how long it’s going to take me and when I need to do it by.  It’s a thing of beauty.

Heads up: I’ve used two of the 6 skills that you can learn to become more creative.  Breaking assumptions is one of them.  Engaging (getting organized and actually getting stuff done) is another.  Want to learn more about the skills?  Register for the ‘Embracing Creativity; How to Rediscover your Creative DNA’ course I’m teaching at Langara College in Vancouver, B.C. on June 23rd.  Hope to see you there with or without your  foam core!

And you?  What have you used to help you realize your dreams?  Please let me know.  If you use any of the suggestions above, please keep me posted (pun intended).

“Business or pleasure?,” said the guy who was sitting beside me on a recent flight.  “Business,” I replied.

But I got to thinking.  What does that say about business?  That it can’t be pleasurable?  That we can’t have fun or have ease when we’re working?

Let’s face it, the old adage ‘put your nose to the grindstone’ involves blood.  Imagine sticking your snoz on some sandpapery moving surface.  Ouch with a capital ow.

Here’s to business AND pleasure.

Want to read an example?  Check out Danielle LaPorte’s of White Hot Truth ‘Today is an epic day.’

Want to see an example?

Check out the video of John Nese owner of Galcos Soda Pop Stop in LA.  Now here’s a guy who’s mixing business and pleasure.

I’ll toast to that.

On the eve of launching her new Firestarter Session e-book I sat down with good friend and colleague Danielle LaPorte, of White Hot Truth fame to interview her.  Hang onto your fire poker and as we go with the Q &A.

Q: For those who aren’t already in the know, who are you and what do you do

A: “I write about self realization and business on WhiteHotTruth.com

I jam with entrepreneurs on how to rock their careers.  I’m launching an e-book called, THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS: A Digital Experience for Entrepreneurs. I’m a seeker. And a strategist.”

Your website name is White Hot Truth.  Let’s break that down.  The colour white as I see it (pun intended) reflects all light and distills things down to their essence.

Q: You strike me as a distiller, one who gets rid of the fluff and drills down.  How do you do that?

“One word: INNOVATE.  In order for me to stay on my personal edge – my innovative edge, I ask myself the following before I ever press send or publish:

Is this useful? It has to be of service. Sometimes being entertaining can be of service, but I prefer inspiring + practical.

Is this as transparent as can be? My own personal story is what has the most leverage in terms of teaching…and entertaining.

Is this elegant? Am I being loving, uncomplicated, inclusive, and righteous in a healthy kind of righteous way?”

Continuing with the name of your site – hot, on the one hand hot is about having passion for what you do but balancing that out with not so much hotness that you burn yourself out?

Q. How do you encourage people to follow their passion and at the same time not burn out?

A: “You know, I think burn out is part of the creative process – at least it is for me. We need to take the stigma out of it. I don’t believe in balance, I believe in rhythm and proportion.

You work your ass off, and then you need to veg out. Run, rest. Masterpiece, holiday. I think the trick is to do it in spurts, rushes of creativity. Worrying about burnout can hem you in from your creative brilliance. Just go for it and see what happens. I know this sounds manic, but it works for me and I’m both healthy and productive.”

The last word in your business name is truth.  Good business practice is all about integrity, those without it eventually get burned, yet it’s easy for folks to hide from the truth.

Q: How do you encourage people to get real and see what’s true as opposed to what they want to believe, what’s easy?

A: “Authenticity is risky business. It’s not easy. Accepting that is key. When you commit to working with the truth, you need the courage to make last minute changes, tough decisions, to walk away, to push through. And the more you do that, the more you show up -sometimes it just takes a whisper, or signature, and sometimes it requires a major crusade -but the more you do it, the more you fall in love with the freedom it brings. And eventually integrity become the strongest muscle you have and you can move mountains with it.”

Q: You get interviewed a lot.  What question are you surprised that you’ve never been asked?  What’s the answer to that question?

A: “No one has asked me how much money I make a year. Seems like a basic question for someone who teaches people how to monetize their knowledge. (We don’t talk about real numbers enough.) I’m on track to make $300k this year.”

Q: What are three things that people can do to find their white hot truth?

A: “Define how you want success to feel.

Create a stop doing list for yourself.

Pay attention to what people thank you for — that appreciation is directly related to your personal genius.”

Q: Why do we shy away from our white hot truth?  Why is it that we still see folks slaving away at a job that sucks their soul, that they hate, that burns them out?

A: “The truth is big, intimate and powerful. We’re trained to shrink away from our power in order to fit it. When you speak your truth you bust structures, status quo and expectations. Scary, but oh-so-worth it.”

Q: You’ve got a hot new eBook that’s launching on May 12th; which includes some creative formats and strategies.  How did you come to creatively rethink, repackage your work?

A: “The FIRE STARTER SESSIONS is all about multi-media, baby. It’s a language that’s available to so many of us now – audio, video, downloadable, clickable, emailable. I’m thrilled to have the freedom to broadcast my message in so many formats, so quickly, for so many different learning styles. As for the “process,” my very sophisticated top secret process is: do what you say you’re going to do. Set the date. Make a promise. Launch it.”

Check out the Rock.Paper.Scissors newsletter about the interview with Danielle for more resources – on the serious side and on the lighter side.

My last 5 posts describe an extended, quirky to-do list tool that I use in my corporate training (click here to download a copy for you to use).  It has 5 parts:

(I love that out of the 5 categories only two are about adding things.  Can we collectively breath a sigh of relief?)

- to do, to continue doing,  to stop doing, to not do, to done (no, the last one’s not a typo) (here’s a description of each)

I’m continuing to share how I’m personally filling them in.  For my 2010 to-do’s see this post.  For my continue to do’s see this post. For my things to stop doing click here. And here are my not to do’s.

This post is about my to-done’s. No that’s not a typo.

Most of us are so focused on what we want to do, to accomplish, to be or to have that we take nary a nanosecond to focus on what we’ve already done.  Our accomplishments.  The things that make us feel proud, accomplished and grateful.

We don’t look over our shoulder, back in time, and reflect on the road we’ve traveled.

And if we don’t do that then it follows that we don’t take a moment to pat ourselves on the proverbial back.  To heave a sigh of thanks, to send a prayer of gratitude to whomever may be listening.

In that spirit, here are some of my to-done’s.

- I’m excited about having been accepted into the Forum for Women Entreprenuer’s E-series program.  I’m looking forward to a learning packed six months with my fellow E-series colleagues.

- I’m very proud of my United Nations work last year.  I wrote a new manual on program evaluation and piloted it with UN folks from Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.  It was work that was deeply fulfilling, challenging and whole heck of a lot of fun.

- After a two year hiatus due to minor injuries, I’m really happy to say that our family is back on the ski hills again.  We’ve made it up the mountain twice this year (no mean feat given how many accoutrements the sport comes with).  There’s nothing like shushing down the slopes with my family, being enveloped by the natural B.C. beauty and enjoying hot chocolate and warming one’s toes at lunch.

- I’m indebted to the impulse that had me gather good friends together one evening some 4 years ago.  We call ourselves the Goddesses.  That group of women, as diverse and eclectic as we are, has met monthly all this time with the purpose of simply being onselef and checking in, whether we’re tired and grump or wildly ecstatic about some new project.  What a privilege – space to simply be yourself and be treasured.

And continuing with the tradition of setting a song to each element of the to-do list, the one for to-done’s is Kool and the Gang’s ‘Celebration’.

And you?  What have you to-done?  What gives you pause to look behind you, at the road traveled, and give yourself a pat on the back?