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This 2-Minute Focus Method Can Save You Hours Every Day

Time Saving Tip

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24 hour days.” — Zig Ziglar 

As Zig says, we all have the same amount of hours and minutes in the day, but it’s how we use our time that matters.  It’s all about how we guide our focus.

I’ve tried out a lot of productivity tips and focus techniques over the years, but this single method I’m sharing today takes less than two minutes per day and can, literally, save you hours in your day.

There are no excuses with this one.  Before you leave my blog write your two or three things down and get to it.  Don’t forget to make a rule for yourself that while you are working on these items there are no distractions allowed.  Keep your head down, get it done, and move on.

I’d love to hear back from you after you’ve tried this technique.  I’ve generally hear back from people after just a day or two because it makes such a huge difference in the focus and productivity of their day.

Here’s to setting your focus on the important things and getting stuff done!

As always, I appreciate you spending time with me here today.

Your friends, family and co-workers need this simple focus strategy in their lives, too, don’t you thing? Please share this post with them.

Jill xx

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How To Get Into The Flow State

“Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person’s skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding.” — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

You’ve probably heard about being in the state of FLOW, in the ZONE or in the GROOVE, but have you experienced it?

Flow is the state when you’re so completely absorbed, focused, and energized by an activity that you lose track of time.  Achieving a state of flow has shown to increase overall happiness and you get stuff that’s important to you done!   

Who can attain the state of flow?

Anyone… Artists, bakers, knitters, car mechanics, writers, athletes, gardeners, woodworkers, programmers, potters, calligraphers, entrepreneurs, dancers, singers — the list goes on and on.

Flow will, however, not automatically happen.  There are certain mindset and environmental conditions that must be met in order to achieve this optimal state.

In today’s video I go over these four conditions, and as a bonus, I’m share some thoughts from my flowy husband on how he has achieved flow during very mundane activity.

Let’s get you flowing!

  1. Pick an activity/project you love and that’s important to you.
  2. Make sure the activity is not too easy, and not too challenging.
  3. Set a clear intention/goal for your time doing the activity.  Something with immediate feedback is important.
  4. Make sure your environment is conducive to getting into the flow: remove physical and emotional distractions, play some music (or if it helps, make sure it’s completely quiet).

Here’s what Maya Angelou shares with us about her writing efforts: “I keep a dictionary, a Bible, a deck of cards and a bottle of sherry in the (hotel) room. I try to get there around 7, and I work until 2 in the afternoon.”  She’s doing something she loves (writing), she has a clear intention each day when she walks in the room, and she’s set up her environment to help her to be completely focused.  

How will try to achieve flow today?

I’d love to hear from you.  Tell me your plan.  I’d also be interested if you have achieved flow, how does it work for you?  What activity are you doing?  What advice would you give from your successes/failures?  Share in the comments below.

As always, thanks for spending some of your precious time with me, here, today.

Jill xx

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Your Daily Dose of Intentional Living — Week 4 Wrap Up

Want to live a more fulfilling and intentional life?  Sometimes we just need some reminders, fresh inspiration, and someone who’s been there and desires the same thing.

This is my 4th week of broadcasting Your Daily Dose of Intentional Living LIVE this month and I’ve compiled all the videos right here in one place for you.  My goal is to provide helpful and inspirational content and provide simple steps to be more intentional with our time and efforts.

MONDAY MOTIVATION video:

The holidays can be a hard time for many people.  Learn how you can be a blessing to someone through a simple gesture that may take less than 5 seconds, but will leave a lasting impression.

TUESDAY TIP video:

Creating a TOP 3 list is a productivity/time management tip that will help you to stay uber-focused on the most meaningful and important goals and projects in your life.  In this video, I discuss what goes on (and doesn’t go on) the list and the best time of day to create the list.

WEDNESDAY’S WORD video:

This week’s word is GRATITUDE.  Learn the 5 areas of your life that will benefit from a daily practice of gratitude.  I also share 3 suggestions on how to actually make the practice daily.

THROWBACK THURSDAY:

I decided not to do a video on Thursday (Thanksgiving) and instead share this photo as my “Throwback”.  My cousin (the tall guy in the back) and I have not seen each other in 39 years!!  It was great to reconnect with family from Arkansas and Georgia!

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FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY video:

In this video I share 3 reasons why being part of a cookbook club will benefit your relationships.  I also give you tips on how to start one!  I’m going to host my first one in the first quarter of 2017.  How about you?  Will you host one, too?

Friends, if you know of someone who might find value in what I’ve shared in these videos, don’t be shy–share away!

Did you miss the wrap-up video posts from previous weeks?
Click here to watch week 1 videos.
Click here to watch week 2 videos.
Click here to watch week 3 videos.

Thanks for watching, friends!  I truly appreciate you spending time with me here today.

With love,

Jill xx

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Facebook LIVE Week 1 Wrap-Up

Your Daily Dose of Intentional Living series went LIVE on Facebook this week.  Each morning at 7 a.m. E.T. (don’t worry, you can watch later, too), I go LIVE and spend 5-10 minutes sharing something that you can implement immediately or at least ponder and use in your efforts to living an intentional life.

Click here to download your free Intention Journal page and follow along each day recording your own thoughts and intentions throughout the week.

Day 1 – Tuesday TIP

I share Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix.  It’s all about choosing the Important over the Urgent, my friends!
Side note– While I love Stephen Covey’s Matrix, this was my first LIVE video, I was nervous as heck, and the example of the matrix I was sharing was apparently backwards on the screen–so you might want to skip down to Wednesday’s WORD–this resonated with a lot of people, and I hope it will with you, too.

Click here to learn more about Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix.

Books mentioned on Tuesday TIP video:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
First Things First by Stephen Covey

Day 2 – Wednesday’s Word

Our word this week was “Acceptance”.  Whether it be accepting where you are in your life right now, the betrayal of a friend, or the death of a loved one, we all know how tough this step can be.  But, friends, it’s a critical one.  Please watch this video and see where you might need to allow acceptance into your life in order to heal your soul.

Day 3 – Throwback Thursday

Today we learn some great wisdom on intentional living from Helen Keller and Alexander Graham Bell.  Wait until you hear about the connection between these two!

Books mentioned on Tuesday TIP video:

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Day 4 – Friendship Friday

Who are the five people you spend the most time with?  Do you they lift you up or bring you down?  Today, I’m sharing some wisdom from Jim Rohn ont the importance of surrounding ourselves with people we respect, are encouraged by, help us to make good decisions, and be the best version of ourselves.

Join me over on Facebook for the LIVE for the “Your Daily Dose of Intentional Living” series that I’ll be filming through the entire month of November.

Click here to watch Week 2 videos.

Here’s to loving your intentional life!

Jill xx

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Do The Next Thing

You know what I want for all of us?  Hint: It’s my favorite thing to write about on this blog and to personally strive for in my everyday life: Joyful, intentional, balanced living.

Dictionary.com defines these words as follows:

Joyful:  Full of joy, as a person or one’s heart; glad; delighted.
Intentional: Done with intention or on purpose.
Balanced: Being in harmonious or proper arrangement or adjustment, proportion,etc.

Joy.  Purpose.  Harmony.  I feel a song coming on!!

If only it were as easy as singing a song and — voila! Done.  We live happily ever after, day after day, with joy, purpose, and harmony.

The problem is when we have those those long days (and sometimes even weeks) where we feel frustrated, stuck, exhausted, or overwhelmed.

Those awful days that steal our joy, have us forgetting that we do have a significant purpose, and those days that we feel so out of whack, that balance is the farthest thing from what we feel.

I’ve just experienced a bit of this feeling recently and after I let myself sit in the dumps for a bit, I decided to follow one piece of advice that is like a miracle cure to get you back on the joyful, intentional, balanced train.

Do.  The.  Next.  Thing.  

That’s it!

Remember the song, Put One Foot In Front of The Other?  It’s as simple as that.

It sounds pretty easy, especially when you’re singing that song, but when you’re feeling depressed, unmotivated, confused, anxious, overwhelmed, ticked-off, unsure, worthless, unhappy, or even just lazy, it’s not easy — at all.

I find when things are hard like this, the key is to break projects down into small actionable steps and pick one thing to do.  Now don’t overthink it.  If you start to overthink it, don’t allow yourself.  Pick one thing and start with that.  Who cares if it’s not the most critical thing that needs to be done?!  We’re not in the frame of mind to be hyper-organized right now!  After you do that first thing, then do the next thing.

For example, say you have people coming over in a couple hours and you’re on the verge of cancelling everything because your house is trashed, you’re in a bad mood, and the cat just puked on the floor.

My suggestion is to clean the cat puke up first, otherwise you might step in it later and then you’re really gonna fly off the handle or just sit down and cry.

Then…

Make yourself go into one room that people you have coming over will see, jot down the top 2-3 things that need to be done and do the one on the top of your list. Then…do the next thing.  Then…do the next thing.  Then, move on to the next room and do the same thing.

Did you see what happened?  You just got that one room ready by practicing doing the next thing.

At this point, as you begin to tackle the next room, a strange whistling sound may escape your mouth!  Yes, you may begin to feel happy, because you’re getting stuff done, my friend!

Now, imagine you’re so flustered that the thought of even writing a 2-3 item to-do list per room will send you over the edge.  That’s ok.  You, my friend, are going to go into one of the rooms that people will see and look down or off to the side and pick something up.  Take that thing and put it in its proper place.  Continue in that same room, just doing the next thing until the room is sufficiently ready to be used by you and your guests.

These “next things” can span from changing the next diaper, to picking up the next dust-bunny, to writing the next check, to paying your bills, to pulling the next weed, to putting the next dish in the dishwasher, to writing that next sentence in your journal, to calling the next house repair person on your list, to writing that next proposal, to mailing that next condolence card, to filling out the next online form, to calling the next person you need to follow up with on something….

You see where I’m going with this?  There is major power in just doing the next thing.  When you create momentum by doing the next thing, it will help bring you to a place of joy, intention, and balance.  That’s the way we’re supposed to be living!

You might not be able to achieve it in one afternoon, but as that momentum builds, you start creating order in your life which allows room for joy, intention, and balance.

Here’s to you leading a joyful, intentional, and balanced life, one step at a time!

Jill xx

P.S. You know others are going through this same thing, how about sharing this with them to help get them moving in the right direction?

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The Power of 5 Minute Tasks

We all have 5 minutes to spare, here and there, throughout the day.  Over the last several months, I’ve uncovered the magic of what all can really happen in 5 minutes.

It lies in the power of choosing a task and working on it for 5 minutes straight without interruption.  This may be a task at home, work, or when you’re out and about.  You might be thinking, “What can I get done in 5 minutes?  I’ve got a pile of stuff to tackle and I’m lucky if I can get up and out the door each morning.”  I know!  I always thought that, too, but the reality is, you can get a lot done in 5 minutes.

I have included 9 simple ideas below to spend your 5 minutes.

But before you dive in, trust this:  One of three things will happen when you accept the 5-minute challenge:

  1. You will complete an entire task that you may have otherwise decided to put off until “you have more time”.  If you like to check things off your to-do list, 5-minute tasks are the best!
  2. You will whittle away at a larger task.  As you continue to spend your 5 minute sessions on this larger task, before you know it, the entire task will be complete.  Whittling away at a task can make a daunting task seem less overwhelming.
  3. You will start with 5 minutes, but when you see the progress you’ve just made, your motivation and momentum kick in and (if and when you have time) you’ll find yourself still working on the task, happily, an hour later.

5-Minute Challenge Task Ideas:

1. De-clutter/Organize.  A cluttered or unorganized house, car, or office not only clutters your physical space, but also clutters your mind.  By spending 5 minutes de-cluttering an area, you will be happy, not only with the aesthetic value, but for the internal peace it will bring you as well.
I’m still a work in progress in this area, but here are a few handy tips that help me de-clutter and organize in 5 minutes:

1.  Pick one small area to focus on.  You’ve got 5 minutes, so pick an area within an area, if you can.  For example, while you may decide to target your closet as an overall project, decide on one section within your closet to tackle in the 5 minute period: Fold, organize, and create a giveaway pile for all sweaters.  The same could go for any single item or area of your closet: shoes, scarfs, seasonal clothes, etc.     
2. Set your timer.
3. Get to work.
4. Mark down your progress in a journal or tracking sheet.  This is not a necessity, but it’s a great way to keep yourself accountable, systematically work through the various areas in need, and is an excellent visual way to celebrate your successes.
2. Clean.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand leaving the house with dirty dishes in the sink.  Not long ago, I went to bed without doing the dinner dishes (a big lasagna dinner), woke up late the next morning, and with 5 minutes to spare before running out the door, looked at those dishes and had a deep dread of coming home to that mess.  Instead, I threw on an apron and got to work on those dishes.  I kid you not, that mountain of caked on lasagna mess was cleaned in 5 minutes.  What I thought for sure I’d need a good 30 minutes to clean, was done in 5 minutes.  DISCLAIMER:  I do have a dishwasher, but I thoroughly scrub my dishes before putting them in.
Cleaning your bathroom for 5 minutes also works wonders.  I remember a friend’s mom told me when I was in high school that if you spend a few minutes cleaning your bathroom a couple times a week, you never really have to do a DEEP cleaning, because it never gets dirty enough.  I keep disinfectant wipes in my bathroom and follow this wise woman’s advice once or twice a week and it keeps things fresh and the need for a deep clean to a minimum.
Same goes for most any area of your house.  Got get ’em!
 
3. Take a mental time out.  Not the same as meditation, but a deliberate 5 minutes of just slowing down to breath deeply, take a look at the beauty around you, or just sit and enjoy the silence around you. 
 
4. Quick email/text/note/call to a handful of people to catch up.  ‘Tis better to hear something than nothing at all, right?  Trust me, friends, I’ve been the worst at this at times.  I’ve decided not to reach out to someone because I didn’t have 30 minutes to devote to a “proper” conversation.  Well, that 30 minutes of free time doesn’t present itself very often, so chances are you just won’t communicate to that person at all.  Is letting a year pass by better than a quick “Hi!  Thinking about you today.  Hope you have an awesome day!” text, email, or voicemail?  I think not.  Personally, I’d rather hear that from a friend.  I’m busy, too, so being on the receiving end of that text would be a relief for me.  How about you?
Read an article I wrote here about a note I sent that was 274 days late.
 
5. Pray and meditate.  You’d be surprised how many people, concerns, and thanksgivings you can cover in a 5 minute prayer session.  Seriously–you’ll walk away feeling so much hope and goodwill in your heart.  And if you’ve ever sat still quietly in meditation for 2 minutes – let alone, 5 minutes – you know how beneficial it can be.
 
6. Brainstorm an idea.  Have you had an idea you’ve been thinking about, but always push it to the backseat because you “just don’t have the time”?  Well, you won’t believe what a 5 minute brainstorming session using a pencil and paper can produce.  Try this  mind-mapping technique I wrote about here.  I use this technique on almost all my blog posts and I’m always amazed at what comes out on paper when I do this.
 
7. Book an appointment.  There’s bound to be something on your to-do list that you keep pushing down the priority list, but you really need to get done.  Let’s face it, scrolling through Facebook for 5 minutes is a whole lot more fun than calling to listen to an automated voice direct us through unending options, to finally get stuck with someone on the other side of the line who appears to not be having the best day and her voice is implying you are part of the reason!  However, the dental appointment, vet appointment, appointment to get your boiler serviced, or that dreaded colonoscopy appointment needs to be made.  NOTE: My current dentist and vet both have friendly people on the other end of the line. : )
 
8. Move your body.  People (talking to myself here, too !!!), we have been given this one body to last us for possibly century.  How can we expect to avoid health problems if we don’t show a little love and respect to our bodies??  We must do more.  And 5 minutes can go a long way.  Stretch, take a quick walk, do an exercise that can be done at your desk, at home, or in the grocery line.
I have these neck/shoulder exercises that I really should do several days per week in order to prevent further injury and guess what?  I cannot tell you how many days – even weeks – I have put off doing these exercises.  It’s crazy!  Especially when they don’t take that long and they’re not hard.
After re-injuring my neck/shoulder a few months ago, I printed out the exercises my physical therapist gave me and taped them to the inside of the cabinet that houses my coffee cups.  So now, when I’m brewing my coffee (which takes 5.5 minutes), I do my exercises (which only take 4.5 minutes).

9. Journal.  You don’t have to write a novel each time you journal.  It’s actually a bit freeing to set a timer for 5 minutes and just write.  A 5 minute “stream of consciousness” can be a really fun exercise.  Just pick one person, place, or thing to write about and let it flow!

So, now you’ve got 9 ideas to inspire and motivate you to get started on your 5-minute challenge.

Will you commit to trying this over the next week?  You can choose to do one 5-minute task each day or maybe a few 5-minute tasks per day.

TIP:  I’ve found that when I tie my task to something like the time it takes to brew my coffee or for my dogs to eat their breakfast and go out to the bathroom, or for the clothes in the dryer to fluff, it helps me remember to do the task and also makes me want to try to “beat the clock” which is fun.

I’d love to hear from you.  Let me know how you’re crushing your 5-minute tasks.

Here’s to getting stuff done!

Enjoy your day.

Jill xx
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How to Take Those Lingering Projects and Get Them Done

How many unfinished projects do you have looming right now?  Have you been dreaming about a project you’d like to tackle, but fear, overwhelm, or lack of time have hi-jacked your capacity to complete the task?

I’m right there with you!

At any given point, I usually have 5-10 projects I’d like to begin or am in the process of “working” on.  I’ll putter a little bit here and there, ultimately being busy, but not getting much accomplished.  I’ve always prided myself on my multitasking skills—I think it may even be a bullet point highlighted on my resume!  But I’ve come to realize that, overall, multitasking takes away from the laser focus needed to complete a task well and in a timely manner.  Author Steve Uzzell defines multitasking as “the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.”

I’ve always been, and always will be, a checklist person, but I’ve recently read a book that has drastically changed the way I choose what to work on and where it lies in my priority scheme.  What I love about the concepts discussed in this book is that they challenge you to look at your purpose–why you do what you do–and use that as your foundation for setting priorities and the actions that will achieve your goals.

The book is called The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.  The authors suggest that “The prescription for extraordinary results is knowing what matters to you and taking daily doses of actions in alignment with it.”

The authors challenge us to take a look at our work, family, personal, and spiritual goals and pick one thing to focus on as we work toward completing the goals in each category.  “Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus.”

If we don’t narrow down our project lists and calendar appointments, we become overwhelmed and stressed, which equates to things not getting done or not getting done well.

A couple of weeks ago, I became super convicted on this whole “One Thing” idea and decided it was time to complete a project I had been putting off for nearly a year.

I’m sharing this example for two reasons: 1. I think you might be able to relate and I hope it will encourage and motivate you to work on something you have been putting off; 2. My precious dogs are featured in the story!

Here’s where the story begins…

About 10 months ago, my husband and I replaced our 17 year old couch cushions (just the inside foam part) and we kept the old foam pads to be used as dog beds.  Excellent idea right?  Upcycle, recycle, reclaim—I’m all about it!

We placed the old cushions on the floor and covered them with a big blanket.  I even added a couple of our old human pillows with shams to make it extra comfortable for the dogs.  DIY at its best!  Shabby chic, easy, and good to go!

Well….you know how when dogs settle in to lay down, they circle around and around and dig into the blankets to make a comfy spot?  Well, the dogs did a little too much digging, so much so that every time they used the bed, they would rip up the foam and batting and leave a huge mess.

Jack and Dixie with torn cushions (1)

After the first few times it happened, I told my husband that I just needed to sew up a cushion cover with a Velcro closure, so they couldn’t get to the bare cushion.  With a glint in his eye, he nodded and said, “That’s a great idea, hon.” Let me preface this by telling you that my husband has witnessed me getting “amped” many times over the years about various DIY projects only to either half start it and leave it unfinished or just talk a lot about it and never even get to the starting point.  So the fact that he still had a glint in his eye was promising—at this point, his eyes should have looked dead and bewildered!

FLASH FORWARD 10 months (present day)…project still not done—BIG surprise!

My husband left town for a few days and I’d been reading the book I mentioned earlier, The One Thing.  Of course, I’d already started applying the concepts in the book to work-tasks and even projects on my blog, but it dawned on me that I should be applying the One Thing to my home life, too.

Yep, you guessed it!  I decided to make the dog bed cover sewing project my One Thing.  I was singularly focused and would not allow anything to get in the way of finishing this project.  The crazy thing is that it only took me a couple of hours to do the entire project—this included setting up the sewing machine, cutting the fabric, sewing, putting the cushions in their new homes, and putting the machine away.  Less than two hours!!

Look how happy the dogs are!  Believe me, my husband was even happier when he came home to discover the miraculous event that had taken place in his absence.

Jack and Dixie project complete

So, I know I’ve given you a silly example here today, but the point is that all of us have things we want or need to get done.  I think we can all agree it’s easier to get fun stuff done first and leave the more important things on the back burner.  It’s important to set goals for all areas of our lives and one of the keys to success is defining your One Thing and blocking time out of your day(s) to focus and get it done.

What do you have in your life that you need to apply some laser focus on to get it done?

Best of luck to you!  My dogs and I are cheering you on!

As always, thank you for spending time with me here today.

Jill xx

BONUS PICS (for those who can’t get enough of the cuteness.)

Dixie with ball helping with sewing project

Dixie wasn’t about to let me cut the fabric in an orderly fashion.

Dixie helping with sewing project

I finally got the fabric cut and Dixie sat with the strips of left over fabric for a good part of the evening!

Jack on two cushions

Jack enjoyed the cushions doubled up.

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Mind Mapping: Who Should Use It and Why

I have an awesome “tool” to tell you about that anyone reading this can benefit from using.  This process is fun, will save you time, and will help you retain information.

It’s called mind mapping.

Mind mapping is a process for brainstorming and organizing your ideas.

Wikipedia defines it like this:

A mind map is a diagram used to visually organize information. A mind map is often created around a single concept, drawn as an image in the center of a blank landscape page, to which associated representations of ideas such as images, words and parts of words are added. Major ideas are connected directly to the central concept, and other ideas branch out from those.

I frequently use mind mapping to prepare blog posts.  I write the main idea or topic in the center of a page in a notebook and start “throwing” out ideas on the paper all around it.  The key is to write without over-thinking—just let the ideas flow.  This process will allow you to get all your ideas on the page and then you can go back and edit.

Here is the simple mind map I drew up for this blog post:

Mind Mapping Map for blog

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM MIND MAPPING?

The question should be “who can’t” benefit from mind mapping?

Writers.  As I mentioned, I use mind mapping for brainstorming my blog posts.  Writers also use this process for organizing and brainstorming ideas for their books.  I am going to be writing an e-book in the future and I have already mind mapped all the chapters.  I will later mind map ideas around each individual chapter.  I’m telling you, this is a fantastic way to organize your thoughts!

Teachers.  First of all—God bless and thank you to all you teachers out there!  Mind mapping can be an excellent tool for lesson planning.  It can also be a tool to teach your students to use for note taking and studying.  See next entry…

Students.  Mind mapping is a great tool to capture the “main ideas” during lectures or presentations.  Students will also find it helpful to use this tool during study and review time; writing out all you know in an organized fashion like this is great for kinesthetic and visual learners.

Parents.  The possibilities are endless for this group: meal planning, grocery shopping, choosing schools, back to school shopping, birthday party planning, summer vacation planning, etc.

Vacations Planners.  That’s you!  Next time you plan a vacation, sit down with a piece of paper, write your destination in the middle and draw spokes out with all your dreams, ideas, and to-dos for your trip.  (I’m using Italy as an example in the “how-to” section below.)

Party Planners.  Whether it’s a party for a 2 year old or a 50 year old, the process of mind mapping will draw out all kinds of ideas, many which will get nixed, but you may come up with a brilliant idea that you wouldn’t have thought of had you not completed a mind map.  Your mind map will also visually organize your grocery, decorations, and party favors list like a charm!

Gardeners.  The process of mind mapping can take a huge, overwhelming task and bring it down into manageable “chunks.”  Consider mind mapping out your next vegetable or flower garden—I think it would be fun to sketch pictures for this “map.”  If you have several areas you are working on, you may create a grand overall mind map and then create mini mind maps for each individual section.

Business People.  Whether you’re working up a rough agenda for a meeting, a strategic plan, a proposal, or a presentation, mind mapping works well for lots of business applications.  Get a flip chart out at your next planning meeting and mind map out everything discussed with your co-workers.  Getting the visual out in front of everyone will generate even more ideas than discussion alone.

Preacher or other Public Speakers.  Not only will this help you organize your message or speech, but it will provide a visual that will stick in your mind—a good thing to reference if your nerves get the best of you or you have lost your place.

Song Writers.  I’ve never written a song, but I imagine this process could be a fun, creative tool for song writers, just as it would be for a writer.  Are you a song writer?  I’d love for you to try this process and let me know how it worked out for you.

As you can see, mind mapping can be used by pretty much anyone for anything.  Grab a pen and paper and try it out.

HOW TO MIND MAP?

TOOLS:
Paper.
Pencil, pen or markers.
Sticky notes.  This is similar to the paper and pencil method, but you are writing out your words/ideas on sticky notes instead.  The advantage to this method is you can rearrange/remove/add sticky notes during the editing process.
Computer programs.  I prefer pencil and paper, but click here to see who LifeHacker.com chose as their top five mind mapping software programs.  I’d personally add Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or Publisher to the mix—all of which most of us have access to.

PROCESS:
Let’s use an example of planning a vacation for this exercise.  I’ve sketched out a simple mind map to go with our example and placed it right below the three steps here.

  1. Write your main idea in the center of your paper. Trip to Italy.
  2. Now, think of all the things you will need/want to do in preparation for your trip. Draw lines out from the middle idea to these subsets.  For example: Budget, places of interest to visit, packing list, home and pet care while you are away, items to purchase before the trip, transportation and accommodation bookings.
    NOTE:  It’s important in this step to just get everything out on the paper—don’t overthink and don’t edit during this step.  You can fine tune your “map” later.
  3. Voila! It’s that easy.  You’re now more organized and much closer to your trip to Italy!
  4. Now you’ve got a “to do” list all ready for your trip.  As you approach your vacation date, you may decide to create mini mind maps for each sub-section to get in greater detail if you’re a nerd like me.

Italy Mind Map

Remember when mind mapping, there are no bad ideas.  Get everything out on paper and edit later.  Have fun!

Let me know how your mind mapping goes.  I’d love to see pictures of you work.  You can email your pictures to me here.

Wanna see some really cool, artsy mind maps?  Click here.

I appreciate you spending time with me today.

Jill xx

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Never Stop Learning

 

“The greatest enemy of learning is knowing.” John Maxwell

What do you think about Maxwell’s quote?  It’s a little counter-intuitive, isn’t it?

Knowing is good, right?

Socrates said the only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.

Hmmmm….

The point Maxwell and Socrates are trying to make is to never stop learning.

The moment we claim to know all that we need to know is the moment we should fear, not celebrate.  There is, and always will be, more to learn.

One of the most beloved and revered coaches of all time, John Wooden, put it this way, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

When’s the last time you learned something new?  Are you working on something now, or has your life grown a bit stagnant?

If nothing’s coming to mind, this may be the perfect time to commit to learning something.

Maybe in reading this, something popped in your mind immediately that you’d like to get started on.  If so, go get ‘em!

Need some inspiration to get your “learning” juices flowing?  Here’s a list of 20 ideas to get you started:

  • Learn a new language.
  • Learn to cook. Too broad?  Learn to cook Asian food.
  • Learn to plant and grow a vegetable garden.
  • Learn a new productivity system to be more effective. (I’m working on this one now.)
  • Learn to play a musical instrument.
  • Learn to play tennis.
  • Learn to blog. (I did!)
  • Learn to sail.
  • Learn to listen. (Don’t laugh, this one can take a lifetime for some.)
  • Learn to take good photos.
  • Learn to tile a floor.
  • Learn public speaking. (I tried this and bailed after a couple months.  Bailing can be ok for the right reasons.)
  • Learn to build wooden birdhouses.
  • Learn something new to help your business grow.
  • Learn to budget and manage your money well.  (Working on this one too.)
  • Learn a photo editing software to “play” with your photos.
  • Learn to knit or crochet. (I’ve always wanted to do this!  Saving for retirement.)
  • Learn to whittle.
  • Learn to upholster a piece of furniture.
  • Learn to restore old books.
  • Learn to __________________. You fill in this one.

The possibilities are endless.  Find something that sounds fun–even challenging–and go for it!

How to Start/Continue the Learning Process Today:

  • Read. Read. Read. Learn from the “masters.”
  • Take an online class or a class at your local community college, community center, craft guild, music center, etc.
  • Ask a friend to teach you something they know well.
  • Ask questions of those you are learning from. Lots of questions!
  • Listen to podcasts. There are podcasts on pretty much any topic you can imagine.
  • Browse the web for DIY how-to sites, pick a project, and get to work.

If any of this seems overwhelming, just focus on taking one step at a time.  Always keep your end goal in site, but break down the steps to get there into manageable pieces.

I’d love to hear what new things you have been or will be learning about.  Please share in the comments section below.

Have a great day!

Jill xx

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