We sit around discussing our feelings and getting all incestuous about the shoulds and the bitches in the corner and our moments and the shitpiles we’re climbing and all agreeing with each other about how it’s hard and easy and wonderful and horrible and isn’t it great we finally found each other and we are doing this all together finally yay for us.

We seduce ourselves into feeling like we are making so much progress, that so much is finally happening, that all of this is finally starting for us … that we feel like we’ve actually done something.

And we have.

But it’s all just bullshit if we let it stop there.

It’s just another excuse, another way to procrastinate on doing what’s uncomfortable, to avoid living our truth out loud in the world … until we take the next step.

Today I am not in the mood for more of the Live Your Truth Manifesto.

I’m not in the mood to freak you out about how to change the world or allow the moment or fuck the shoulds or any of the iterations of this amazing journey we are on together.

I’m here to call us all on what could easily become just another kind of bullshit.

To remind us all that we need to Get Shit Done.

Yes, it need to be the right shit.

It needs to be an expression of your soul. It needs to be in resonance with how you are changing the world. It needs to move you towards living your purpose, your goals, your truth, however you describe the state in which you want to live every day.

But as much as I love to sit around with you and talk about all these ideas, all these realizations, all this blogerific poetry of change and inspiration and hope and despair and various levels of angst and ecstasy … I want more for you.

Don’t just read this blog and be inspired to think. Don’t just participate in Live Your Truth twitter chat and join the conversation. Don’t just comment or email or sign up for the newsletter.

Go. Do. Something.

Go do something about your realizations.

Take action on what you’ve been inspired.

Create that first little external manifestation of your truth, and start to change your tiny little corner of the world.

Right. Now.

#thatisall

But my current focus & productivity is coming down to a little super sticky florescent post it note and a powerful tip from one of my friends …

How do you manage your daily to do list? What works for you?

I’d love to hear your comments below!

Last year she enjoyed her 2-year old classroom, because she made some great friends (yes, little kids can make best friends, isn’t that amazing!), and with only 4 kids per adult, she got tons of teacher-attention.  Not so with her 3-year old “official preschool” room.  Her best friends were split off into other classrooms, and she did not find a new best friend in her new group.  While her teachers were caring, with only 2 teachers to a room full of kids, they spent most of their time leading the group (and managing the messes), instead of 1:1 attention to any child.  Just like regular school, it’s impossible for teachers to really run it any other way. 

I had planned on her going to her preschool 6 hours a week until the end of the school year, to give me time to figure out other solutions.  

But on December 30, 2008 my daughter said quietly to no one in particular as she got in the car, “The is the last day I’m going to this school.”  

What?  What are you talking about? 

“Mommy, I don’t like this school.  So I decided that today is the last day I’m coming here.”  

Now mind you, I had teleclasses planned, shows scheduled, meetings on calendar … and no solution for keeping her amused while I ran the business and fulfilled my commitments.  After panicking for a few hours, I realized that I needed to listen to my daughter.  This is a girl who loves nannies and babysitters, who used to love school, and who loves learning.  This wasn’t about discipline … it’s that her current program was not the right fit.  And that was one of the big reasons I had planned on homeschooling her in the first place … so why not start today?  

Instead of continuing to freak out, I broke down our needs into a few categories (yes, I do have a logical side, are you surprised?).  Preschool (and school in general) was not the only solution for our needs — time to put on the creative-problem-solver hat!  

Dear Daughter (DD) Needs

• Learning the basics (reading, writing, math) 
• Learning fun extra stuff (i.e., science, arts & crafts, history/cultures, music) 
• Exposure to different types of people/things/cultures
• Playing with other kids (same age and mixed ages)
• Attention from other adults (esp. since our families are out of town)
• Running around & other high-energy physical activity
• Just getting out of the house
• Attention from mom  

Categories for DD:  Learning, People, Activity

Elizabeth’s Needs

• Quiet, uninterrupted time/space to write
• Place to record videos & audios
• Quiet space to return phone calls
• Place to teach teleclasses, guests on radio shows
• Childcare for speaking engagements
• Childcare for out-of-town travel to meetings, seminars, conferences
• Time with grown-ups
• Time to answer email, manage staff
• Time for social networking and online marketing
• Time to read, listen to teleclasses, learn new stuff
• Time to run technical part of website, upload files, posts to blog
• Time to do housework and run errands
• Time for hobbies like hiking, crafts, reading, cooking, gardening
• Time for traveling, meeting new people, experiencing nature
• Quality time with DD

Categories for Elizabeth:  Quiet, Out-of-Town, Teaching, Computer, Fun

And I realized that there was no one solution that worked for us.  And that’s important.  So many times in life we are looking for one “magical” solution to our needs, but it takes a creative assembly of resources to craft a solution to each of our unique concerns. 

Solution #1:  Co-working/childcare

My first search was to look for childcare on demand in an environment that did not seem like a child storage facility (you know what I mean!), where she would have fun and be safe while I could have concentrated work time.  And, I wanted something cost effective yet flexible, so I can get more time when I’m working on a project yet not have to pay for time I don’t use.  

Cubes and Crayons has been on my radar for a few months.  They are a co-working / childcare-on-demand place, where parents can work in a room while the kids are playing in another room down the hall under supervision by certified peeps.  You can pay by the hour or buy hours in blocks of time — either way you just schedule time a few days before and use it as you go. So we signed up for a few hours to try them out.

DD loves playing in a room of mixed ages (ages 3 months to 5 years), with small child-teacher ratio (since they are going by the lower age group rules) and where she knows that I’m down the hall if there is a major problem.  I suspect that she does crafts for hours — she usually has 4-5 completed projects when I go down the hall to pick her up.  What’s her favorite part?  ”My favorite part is the little babies.”  

For me, I’m working (right now, actually) in a room of other adults who are also all working on their computers.  Kind of a great peer pressure for me to be productive, unlike at home where I can always find laundry to do or books to read.  These people are looking at me (not really, but) so I can’t be futzing around on twitter instead of working on my work.  I’m using the quiet time primarily for writing; I’ve been neglecting writing original content and the urge to write something new has been driving me nuts.  Also a great time for phone calls (just step outside for privacy) and mind-mapping or journaling.  

Solution #2:  Classes for DD

Here in the Silicon Valley there are TONS of classes for kids to learn everything such as gymnastics, drama, cooking, musical instruments, art, or gardening.  And now that DD’s is almost 4 years old, she’s eligible for the lowest level of these classes (and they are not parent participation, btw).  I’m trying her out in gymnastics and drama first (it would be so each to over-schedule us with everything available!).  

What needs does this fulfill?  DD gets to play with other kids, spend time with other adults (usually these classes are 1:4 or 1:6 ratio), and learn fun new information or skills.  In gymnastics she also gets tons of running-around and high-energy-play time. I also get a little alone time for writing, reading, or computer time while she’s in class.  

Solution #3:  Temp Nannies 

We’ve been using a local nanny service (Town and Country Resources) to supply temporary nannies for a few years for date nights or when I travel.  Yes, they are a bit different than babysitters, because they tend to be professional nannies who are in-between jobs or are moonlighting, have tons of experience, are non-teenagers, are screened by the agency (and the state), and are a bit expensive (especially around here!). 

But DD has NEVER been upset or cried when I left her with one of these women.  Why?  Because she gets the undivided attention (how often is my attention undivided?) of a loving adult who is being paid to hang out with her all day.  Typically they walk to the park or library, do arts & crafts (that are too messy to try my patience), read tons of books, cook together, and play.  

Not only are nannies a great solution for when I travel, but they are solving the challenge of time for me to teach classes and record videos/audio — where I need a private, quiet space with a land line and computer.  For DD, she gets to learn new stuff and gets 1:1 time with a fun adult.  

Solution #4:  Homeschooling

In April of last year I realized that I wanted to start homeschooling DD now, instead of waiting for when my business was “ready” (does that ever happen?) or when she was school-age.  Now, of course, she’s 3 years old, so we don’t really do “school” (and I doubt we will ever do “school”).  All we did was set up one room as the “learning room” and fill it full of materials for (science, math, phonics) projects, educational books, great fiction books, workbooks (she thinks they are great fun), and learning materials for preschoolers (blocks for math, chalkboard & wood pieces for writing, sand-cards for phonics).  

DD has a little desk for her to draw or do worksheets, a great chair for cuddling while reading, and a little table to do our projects.  Each day we spend some time in the learning room, which DD regards as just a place to do fun projects with mom (learning is the great side effect!).  

But it’s not just what we do in the learning room.  Homeschooling is not school-at-home, it’s a style of parenting, it’s a lifestyle, it’s what we do everywhere.  From grocery shopping to walking through the park to weeding the garden, everything we do has opportunities for quality time and the joy of learning something new (or practicing/teaching what we already have learned).  She weighs fruits, counts buttons, points out letters, color-devides laundry, categories utensils, and names plants in the flower bed.  Let me tell you, chores and errands are so much more fun for me when we are doing them together in this purposeful, intentional way.   

Now at home she also spends time each day amusing herself.  That may be making up stories, doing crafts, playing with toys, running around in the backyard, or watching a video.  For a girl who never wants to be alone, it’s a good way for her to build her playing-alone and creative-play muscles.  And while she amuses herself, I do computer work, like social networking, emailing, managing staff, or updating my blog. 

Solution #5:  Travel, Day-trips, and Field Trips

Both DD and I love to travel — her because she loves to meet new people and see new things, and I love to experience nature and different cultures.   She loves flying (bonds with random people in airports), loves staying in hotels (pools!  big bathtubs!) and is convinced that something exciting will always happen on a trip (ducks at papa’s house!  fast boat ride!  disneyland!).  

The one big challenge has been that my husband’s practice is not compatible with vacation planning (client pitches, court dates, brief deadlines).  So I finally realized that DD and I can travel alone (especially since we can homeschool and I can run my business from anywhere), both for short day-trip as well as longer vacations.

The ideas is that each month we will go on a few “field trips” – such as to a zoo, nature preserve, state park, beach, or museum.  Then once a month we will go on a longer day/overnight trip to some where we will both love and have fun, such as Santa Cruz or San Francisco.  Then every couple months we will go on a big trip, just the two of us.  Our first big trip is a 4-day cruise (my first cruise too!) from Los Angeles to Mexico – they do provide childcare on board so I can get a few breaks, and the ship is set up to amuse kids.  I also have plans for a train ride to Portland (she’s really excited about sleeping on a train!) and international group tours once she’s a bit older.  

Will I get any work done on these trips?  Hum, depends upon the trip, of course.  DD does go to sleep at 7:30 PM, so I will have time, but I may prefer to spend that time reading or journaling instead of futzing with email.  But I know I’ll get time to experience nature and have fun.  

Would Multiple Solutions Work For You? 

If you are challenged by marketing, getting new clients, dealing with childcare, or de-weeding your lawn, your solution may not be just one “magical” thing.  Break down what you really need — you may find may be better to use 2, 5, or 7 different solutions to replace whatever is not working in your life.  And, once you diversify your solutions you are less dependent upon one of them breaking (for example, if Cubes and Crayons goes under, I already have other solutions to hold me over until I find a replacement).  

So what’s not working for you today?  

Here’s the secret — instead of working on your big project or task, just do it for 15 minutes. 

I’ve been harnessing the power of 15 minutes for the last few weeks, helping me to organize my house, clean up my landscaping & front porch, get all my daily housekeeping done, give toys to charity, organize my desk, get my files cleaned up, cut down on email time, launch an affiliate program, and cut my to-do list down to size. 

I originally learned this tip from flylady.net, who teach it in conjunction with running a smooth household.  But you can use the Power of 15 Minutes in all aspects of your personal & business life to stop procrastination & overwhelm and finally get stuff done.

How does it work?

• Get a digital timer.  You may call it a kitchen time or an “egg timer” — something that will count down time and buzz when your time is up.
• Pick the task or project on your to-do list that you’ve been procrastinating the longest. 
• Set your timer for 15 minutes and work on that project for 15 minutes solid.  No checking email.  No checking twitter or facebook.  For that matter, get off the internet.  No answering the phone.  Don’t answer your mobile (unless you are sure it’s your kids calling and they are either bleeding or in jail). You may need to go somewhere else to do this (coffee shop, library, cave). 
• At the end of 15 minutes you are DONE.   Yay! 
• Acknowledge your progress.  You can cross off that task on your list for the day.  (if it seems weird to cross it off, write down “15 minutes on XYZ project” and cross that off)  Amazing how much you can get done if you are NOT multitasking! 
• Be happy!  Don’t you feel like you’ve made progress!  Congrats! 

This also works great if you spend TOO MUCH time on a task.  Set your timer for 15 minutes of internet surfing or email reading.  At the end of 15 minutes, get back to work. 

This article was featured in The Twenty Fourth Edition of the Carnival of Improving Life.

Business Cards

1. Write notes on the back of the cards.  Notes includes any distinctive facts (do they live down the street, have a little kid, love soy lattes?), what we talked about, how I may want to follow up with them.  Just a few words on each, like "used to live in Rose Garden, has a baby, interview on radio show?" 
2. Input contact info into Address Book / Plaxo.  Depending upon the number of cards, I input the contact info and my notes into my Mac Address Book, or I send the cards to my assistant to input into Plaxo.com (which automatically syncs with Address Book, which syncs with my iPhone). 
3. Send a quick email to each person, referencing what we talked about and how we might follow up.  Best if you can do it the next week or two.  But even if it takes me months, I still try to follow up — better late than never. 

Notes

1. Assign your notes to categories.  When I am taking notes at a conference or seminar, I leave a margin where I assign each idea or task to a category.  Examples:  GU Squeeze Page (changes to make to my new Grow Up! Strategies squeeze page), Traffic (ideas for generating new traffic to my website), or GU Biz Plan (ideas to incorporate into my business  plan). 
2. Reorganize notes to categories.  When I get home I make a list of the ideas for each category (all the squeeze page ideas on one sheet, etc.).  Then I can stick that sheet into the project file or pile, to use the next time I work on that issue.
3. Prioritize ideas.  When I review all my ideas, I pick 2-3 to implement right now that would give me the most bang for the work.  This time it was some changes to my squeeze page.  Then I pick a few more ideas to implement in the next few weeks, etc. 
4. Take Action!  As I said, I always pick a few items to implement right away.  Then I’ve made some progress, even if those are the only things I get to for a while.  **Sometimes I even implement a few ideas right at the conference itself (i.e., registering a domain name or making minor website changes).**

My husband and I have been thinking about moving to another part of the bay area & have been looking for the perfect place for a few months, to no avail.  Everything was too far away, too expensive, too murky, too crowded, or just not right.  So on Sunday night I made a list of each of our top 5 "wants" in a location to live, and triangulated them on a map (15 minutes from this, 30 minutes from that, etc.).  We found our location (for those of you who are from the Bay Area, the Skylonda area of Woodside).  Monday we took a few hours off work for a visit and fell in love.

Now our move is real.  I finally have a motivation to de-clutter my house, because I have a real vision of what our new home will be like.  And de-clutter is the first step in selling this house and packing to move. 

My first thought was that I should not use de-cluttering as a procrastination tool to delay working on work.  But I quickly put that thought aside.  Right now I have a passion for cleaning (which does not arrive every day, let me tell you) and I should harness this energy and make some major progress.  My "job" is not running my business — that’s just one part of the roles I perform in taking care of myself and my family — and I should feel no guilt in setting different priorities during my "work time." 

So yesterday I cleaned out my laundry room, top to bottom.  Wow.  It had not been cleaned out since we moved in, and had a ton of junk piled in corners and stuff in cabinets.  Filled up the entire trash can outside with junk, found a cooler from camping in May that was not completely empty (nasty!), reorganized the tool box, threw away stained clothes, and cleaned up dust hiding in corners.  If I had to move tomorrow, everything in that room would fit in two banker’s boxes. 

Just from that small amount of progress, I feel lighter and more confident. I’m less distracted, so today I can concentrate on work. 

1. Don’t Procrastinate (too much).  My eZine was set to go to my web designer today (for html formatting), but since I started working on it on Monday, it was mostly done.  I was able to complete the eZine in about 30 minutes during Grace’s nap.  But if I had started today, I would be working on it right now (at 9:30 PM), freaking out.
2. Share That You Are a Mom.  I had to reschedule a meeting with a colleague today — who totally understood.  I don’t reschedule people unless I have a sick kid, and since my people (clients, contact) all know that I am a mompreneur, they are not taken aback.  Anyone who does not want to be bothered by someone with a kid does not do business with me anyway, since I am upfront (and good riddance). 
3. Be Flexible.  I had planned to upload and format a new podcast page today, but it is just getting uploaded now, and may not be formatted until tomorrow.  That means the design for a related postcard, and the press releases, will also be delayed.  But I’m okay with that, since it is not the end of the world that things are one or two days behind.
4. Use Plan B (or C).  I didn’t need to do it this time, but I have used a nanny service to find last-minute childcare for my sick daughter.  Costs and arm and a leg ($17/hr plus referral fee of 25%) but worth it so I don’t have to cancel a client meeting. 
5. Use Your Systems.  My virtual assistant (who is doing her job from vacation this week) answers my email and voicemail, so that gets done even if I am out of the loop.  Many of my email, contact us forms, and other website stuff have automatic response systems to catch the rest. 
6. Build a Flex Day Into Your Plan.  I plan that I will spend one day with Gracie home with me, during the work week.  That day is usually Thursday, but if she is home with me Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, then I can send her to school on Thursday, and still get the same work done that week.  Does not work this week, since she’s still running a fever, but came in handy last month. 
7. Embrace the Chaos.  Grace, who felt pretty good even though she had a fever, loved hanging out with mommy today.  We went to the mall, did crafts, and cuddled on the sofa.  Instead of worrying, I made a conscious effort to enjoy the time we had together today. 

What do you do when you kid is home sick?  Leave a comment and share your suggestions.