Skip to main content

Making a list and checking it twice



 Yep there’s something to that. Santa, because he’s Santa, has to be extremely organized. He’s actually a genius of planning and preparation! Imagine all that he has to do and keep track of all year long, not to mention on the big night!  His to-do list must be a million pages long.

Hopefully Santa takes advantage of technology to stay organized

So, in light of making the best of the most wonderful time of the year, here are three simple tips for effective list making:

1. Keep it simple

     Santa’s list is long, but he’s had a long time to practice and perfect it. Your to-do list needs only the most important tasks that MUST be completed that day. This will prevent you from being overwhelmed. A short list will allow you to prioritize and focus on the essentials. 

2. Plan ahead

      While you are most likely not managing a village of elves or magically making reindeer fly, it is important to be prepared for the day ahead. Write your to do list the night before. This way you will start your day with clarity. You’ll know exactly which tasks you need to complete and by when.

3. Picture it.

       A few moments picturing mentally the outcome of a project is very helpful in making the list. Picture the outcome first, then list the steps needed, supplies needed, contacts to make. This way you can empty your brain of all the details that tend to swarm around in there and occupy important brain space. Now that you’ve envisioned the outcome and made the list, your brain space is freed up to focus on whatever it needs to focus on. 


Some of the lists I have made in the last 6 weeks include:
list for groceries for Thanksgiving feast
list of supplies for jewelry production
list of games to play for fellowship party
list of clients to call for holiday window painting
list of addresses of family and friends for  holiday cards
list of stops to make on trip to Florida
list of usernames and passwords
list of questions to ask host during trip
list of sizes and prices for mixed media collages
list of potential guests for art workshop
list of chronology of family photos
list of Pantone colors for 2019
list of potential juried art shows for 2019
and so on and so forth....

Without making these lists, all the details and questions and stuff to do would just be jamming the circuits of my brain space. I find that once I make a list, I have more peace of mind and less mental clutter. 
Something I like to do when making a list is, at the top of the list, write “make a list”. That way as soon as I’m done I can cross off the first item! 

So enjoy your organized and envisioned holiday season! And don’t forget to make a list and check it at least twice! 




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paint and Palettes

          I’ve always been a lover of paint and paint palettes. I vividly remember the excitement I felt opening that rectangular tin filled with round cakes of watercolor paint in elementary school. I was hooked! From that point on, I have wanted to explore and express within the inviting purity of paint.          In 1988 I had a beach side shop where I hand painted women's clothing. I was using acrylic paint in abundance. One morning I had cleaned my palette off, and had peeled a large colorful piece of variegated and textured acrylic paint from it.  Some friends of mine came into the shop (actually it was my minister and his wife). During our brief conversation, I showed them the peeled up paint and said, “This is too pretty to throw away, but I don’t know what to do with it.” The husband said, “Oh, you should cut it up and make it into jewelry!” We all laughed about it. It was like "Yeah right, I should try ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Winter Work

        Now that my show season is over, it's time for what I lovingly call winter work. Winter work is studio time. It's when I light the fire in the wood stove and sit down at the drawing table and/or easel, both of which are pulled close to the wood stove. It's winter work because when the weather cools off and the leaves fall, the studio is the most inviting place in my life. The warmth of the fire and the smell of the wood and the blank slate on the easel are what inspire and motivate me to work.        At one of my shows I bought this glorious coffee mug from Paige @rockbottomceramics. It sits on top of the woodstove and keeps the coffee warm for hours.  It's a studio staple.     There is purposely a blank canvas on the easel, or in this case, a smooth panel which will eventually be gessoed and painted with an expression of light through leaves. The blank canvas is self care. It's a sign of hope for my future. What will go on ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Up and Running

 Show season is up and running! Next up: One of my favorites, the Crosby Festival of the Arts. It will be held in the beautiful Toledo Botanical Garden June 28-30. I'll be in booth 178 - the Purple Zone- which is where I've been located before.       One thing I love about this event is the location. M y booth is situated close to the herb garden, which is laid out on an inviting pathway, full of life and color. I look forward to taking photos of the gardens, which will eventually find their way into my art. Here's some from last year:      I'm excited to return to the event with my mixed media collage paintings. I've been at work on some new pieces, which will also be available.  Here's a sneak peek at the latest work:        I'm still aiming to capture that path of light through leaves.  I combine paint, papers, ink, wax resist, linocut printing, colored pencils and canvas. My aim is to combine these various ma...
Post a Comment
Read more