When my mom passed away on April 12, I knew she didn’t want to go yet. She (and my whole family) hoped for another Mother’s Day, birthday, even Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Cancer had a different timeline, though. When Mom died, she left behind some regrets. Not just her own, but my regrets too – things I wish I could do with Mom or say to her.
Mom’s death taught me two valuable lessons: (1) You never know when you will die, and (2) Live life with no regrets.
In last week’s blog post, I offered a journal prompt for my readers: “If I don’t do these things, I will regret it on my death bed.” I encouraged my readers to grab a journal and think about what they want to do in this lifetime, with a promise that I’ll do the same—and report back my findings.
So, here I am this week, sharing what I learned from writing my “No Regrets List.”
My No Regrets List
My son’s girlfriend bought me a beautiful journal for Easter, and it was the perfect place to record my No Regrets List. I had to write two permission slips for myself before I started writing. First, I told myself I didn’t have to complete my list in one sitting, so I gave myself permission to write an initial brain dump. Second, I think categorically, so I told myself it was okay to organize my list by categories.
Here are the categories I started with:
- Writing
- Home
- Bassets
- Travel
- Health
- Virtual Networkers
Then, I started writing, trying not to edit or talk myself out of it—just thoughts to paper. For some categories, it resembled to-do lists, and that’s okay. It’s not meant to be a perfect exercise.
When I stopped recording my initial brain dump, I reread what I wrote and discovered a few things.
My takeaways
#1: I don’t dream big enough.
I resisted writing down the “crazy stuff,” as if writing it down meant I’m opening myself up for failure. For example, I wanted to write “be a New York Times bestselling author,” but my Ego got in the way, and instead I wrote, “Have bestselling books.”
#2: Writing was the first category that came to my mind for this exercise.
That’s very telling. I have dreamed about being a full-time writer but abandoned this dream after my lackluster sales of Loud Woman. Writing is a passion, and writing books is how I share my message. Must. Keep. Going.
#3: I need cooler temperatures.
For my “home” category, I quickly and passionately wrote about moving to a place with cooler temperatures, at least during the summer months (I currently live in Florida). I need to stop worrying about the “how” and put this manifestation into motion.
#4: My Inner Critic had a field day with my categories and what I listed.
I had to remind myself about imperfect action about my permission slip to not complete the list in one sitting. I had to reassure myself that my list is not done, and I have more to write.
Your turn
I hope my imperfect action inspired you to take imperfect action, too. Let’s all work on our No Regrets List. Truth be told, I had fun starting my list, and I have consulted it, or added to it, every day since I started writing it.
Loud Woman, you are worthy of whatever it is you want, need, or desire. Start with this list, don’t worry about the how, and let’s see what unfolds. You got this!
More resources
Here are some other resources that will help you with your marketing and mindset:
My book, That First Client, which will teach you how to create an effective marketing system that will always attract clients to your business
My book, Loud Woman, which will inspire you to get Louder in your life and business
Check out my latest blog post about marketing, networking, getting clients, and the Law of Attraction
Virtual Networkers, my global online networking organization for women entrepreneurs
Get More Clients Track, a year-long program that will teach you how the fundamentals of marketing so you’re always attracting clients
Manifest More Clients Track, a year-long program that will teach you how to use the Law of Attraction in your marketing
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