Gee, I have a lot to do…

My husband, known throughout the land as Prince Charming, is full of witticisms. I should have a tape recorder running all the time to catch the nuggets that come out of his mouth. He’s a very quotable guy.

Some tidbits are perhaps common sense, yet I need to hear them. “The key to getting it all done is doing it.” Well, duh. Yet, don’t we all need to hear that occasionally?

When the to-do list is a mile long and everything seems like a priority, do you find yourself whirring into a Tazmanian devil frenzy? I gotta do this. I gotta do that. And oh my gosh, that too. And I have to bring home the bacon AND fry it up a pan!

When the demands of work and life start to press in, take a breath. One time, and one time only, say out loud, “Gee, I have a lot to do.” Then make a list. Dumping it out of the head and on to paper helps tremendously. The to-do’s lose their power when they are corralled onto paper. If you don’t do this step, they keep running around in your head screaming at you every ten seconds. The to-do’s seem to grow and multiply. So diffuse that and write them down.

Then, do something. Pick one thing. Go!

Yes, you need to make a plan and outline and strategize and mindmap or whatever works for you, depending on the task. You also need to get started.

Some people stay stuck in the to-do list stage. They analyze, prioritize, and weigh all the pros and cons. They ponder and they wonder.  And they never actually do a darn thing.

Stuckness is common. You are not alone. When we do decide to tackle, sometimes we don’t know how to proceed. If your project is organizing your home, hire a professional organizer to help you. If your project is weight loss or toning up, hire a trainer to get you going. If your project is a book, hire a book coach to talk you through it.

We all need someone to guide us and pull us along when we feel like it’s easier to stay stuck going around in circles. We really don’t want to continue like that, but it’s been our pattern, and we are comfortable with the familiar.

To get us from the thinking about it to the doing it often requires outside assistance. Several years ago when I first heard the term “life coach,” I mocked it. Then I became one. I have also hired life coaches and business coaches and personal trainers, and will continue to do so. We all get stuck and it helps tremendously to have guidance to keep moving.

It’s a sign of strength to get support. We all learn that in our own way, in our own time. Another piece of wisdom from my Prince Charming that I have written on my white board over my desk is: I am always the student of myself and always the master of myself.

We always continue to learn and grow. Humans are not stagnant beings. We often learn more about ourselves when working with someone. That has been the case with me, and for my clients.

Business owners discover their journey is much more than “business” – it’s an amazing personal growth journey. Writing a book is a wonderful discovery process as well. I have seen spiritual transformation occur and that’s part of what excites me about what I do.

We all are here to express ourselves. We all do it in different ways. Our life is not just about a never ending to-do list. It’s about expressing ourselves and finding our unique way to do that. Aren’t we glad that we have artist, authors, and preschool teachers? Pet rescuers, master gardeners, and volunteers who hug and rock their premies at hospitals? We need the Oprahs, Picassos, and Richard Simmons of the world. We need you.

Whatever it is that you want to express, write it down. Then do it. If you are stuck, get support. In becoming the student of yourself, you will learn so much. You will indeed become the master of yourself.

Always learning. Always growing. Always expressing. And always appreciating every step along the way. Another gem from my sweetheart, and probably the most important one that we always need to remember, when we are whirring around or in a state of calm: “I am me, and that’s enough. Always.”