(This is PART ONE of a two-part series about the Black ‘n Red Book)
It’s no secret that I love office supply stores. I always have. Even as a kid I used to save up my allowance to buy something that was meant for an office. I was probably one of the few kids with a three-hole punch and electric stapler at the age of nine.
Fast forward to today. I still like to go into office supply stores. I purchase items I need (and a few that I don’t), but occasionally find a gem. Such is the case the other day. I found a gem.
I discovered this large “Black n’ Red” book (the one that’s 8x12). The hardback book has lined is the European-size paper inside. This day, the books were on sale for $11.99. Inside those pages I began to do “white sheet thinking”. This is where you have nothing before you and just start listing what comes out of your head.
I did lists, visuals, charts and writings of all sorts of things. I moved from page to page and captured some creative thoughts to help me at work and in life. I underlined anything that was for work in red and anything that was for life in green.
I pull out the book every day and check off things I have completed. I also use it to capture ideas from my daily e-mail thought leader blasts. I take this book to the coffee shop in the morning, whenever I must wait for my wife to do power shopping, or when I have to wait to get my car serviced.
iMPACT ACTION STEP FOR YOU THIS WEEK
1. Buy a book to record your ponderings. A Black ’n Red is good, but it can be anything you want it to be.
2. Find a quiet place to record some thoughts that come out of your brain.
3. No need to go in any order. After all, the purpose is to capture what’s coming out of your brain.
4. Make sure you do one RED work item.
5. Then do one GREEN life item.
6. You want to do both because life is not just work. It’s just for you.
In Part Two (the next blog), I’ll share some of the headings I included in my Black ‘n Red book.
