Getting Things Done With Less Stress
When I was writing novels I set a series of deadlines to complete each phase; first 100 pages, first draft, second draft, etc. It was the most effective way I knew to break down a big project into manageable parts.

My daughter,who was about eleven at the time said, "Mommy you should make do-lines, not deadlines." I asked her what she meant. She explained that I was trying to DO something by a set time. "Deadline" to her sounded like failure...the word dead didn't conjure up success to her. It created a picture of someone dragging themselves across the finish line, exhausted, near death.

I thought it was the smartest thing I'd heard all year.

I immediately changed how I referred to my time markers as "do-lines." It felt completely different! Simply the word change made the tasks feel more joyful and energetic!

Try it yourself. Make a "do-line."

And also pay attention to the little gems that your own kids can come up with. Parents can learn from their children too!


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