Your Giant List

The following is a list of things I'd like to get done, preferably in the next 16 to 22 minutes:

* Read the growing pile of extremely interesting-looking books that is currently residing on the floor next to my couch (including The Power of Now, A New Earth, The Conscious Heart, The Lightworker's Way, The Artist's Way, The Vein of Gold, and My Stroke of Insight)
* Redesign my website to reflect new testimonials I've received, updated packages I'm offering, and lots of other things I can't think of right now
* Come up with a new format for my blog that includes ALL of the things I love and am interested in sharing, such as healthy baking and cooking, coaching, art, travel, and humor, and deciding the best way to present this new format
* Increase my blog readership
* Blog
* Take a nap
* Take a shower
* Do my upper body strength training
* Watch a couple DVDs I have lying around
* Finish my vision board
* Send a follow up email to two clients
* Prepare materials for an upcoming event at which I'll be showcasing my mad coaching skills
* Pet my cats
* Plan a beach vacation
* Rewrite my "endgame" (where I write what I imagine my life to be in three to five years)
* Reorganize the shelves next to my desk
* Clean the bathroom
* Clean the kitchen floor
* Eat something chocolate
* Become enlightened

Does your To Do list ever end up like that? Obviously there is way, way too much stuff on it, and trying to tackle everything on the list in one day, or even in one month, is extremely overwhelming. And what do I (and you too, admit it!) do when I'm overwhelmed? NOTHING! Okay, maybe I'd be able to check off "nap" and "eat chocolate" from the list while under the extreme stress of trying to make myself succeed at everything in the world rightthissecond, but other than that, not much is going to get done.

So what's the best way to check off the things on my list? I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Kidding!

First, read over the list. Okay, read it again, but this time look at each item and see how your body reacts to it. For me, the list of books I want to read makes me feel excited...until I realize just how much information that really is! So I have to break it down into chunks: some of the books are on loan from the library, so I'm going to make them a priority. Also, if I start reading a particular book and it doesn't speak to me, I'm going to let it go. I want to read all this stuff to help me with my journey and so I can gain valuable information to share with others. If it doesn't resonate with me, it won't stick to my brain, so there's no point in continuing with it.

The second item on my list, about my website, makes me feel all "shackles on" when I look at each and every single thing that needs to get done. In this case, I need to break what I want to get down into small, manageable "turtle steps", taking one at a time, even if it's only one per week!

Increasing my blog readership is an on-going process, so that will also be taken in turtle steps. The things that stick out on my list that I really want to do today are: take a shower, send my follow up emails, pet my cats, dream about a beach vacation (but no need to plan it in its entirety!), and eat chocolate. I guarantee you I will not be cleaning my kitchen floor today!

Look at your list. You probably have some things on your list that you "have" to do, right? I'll let it go that you're using victim language (for now) and just give you the best advice I can: use the three B's.

Can you buy it (or barter it)? For instance, if you don't want to cook dinner tonight and it's making you miserable, can you bring home takeout?

Can you bag it? Do you really, really have to make it to the lecture on reproductive cell spawning that your husband is giving tonight?

Can you better it? Maybe after you finish that report on double dutch and its environmental impact you can skip out of work ten minutes early and get a massage or glass of wine to reward yourself.

As for me, I'm going to check "blog" off my list and reward myself with some chocolate.