What's Your Vade Mecum?
What could I really not do without these days . . . . well, besides my trusty laptop and all the rest of my computer gear? It's both a stress reduction and success mechanism, and I'll explain that tie-in at the end of this article.
A few days ago, I rediscovered a wonderful word, vade mecum, (pronounced either vay-dee-MEE-kuhm or vah-dee-MAY-kuhm. Since I had a couple of years of Latin in high school, I gravitate toward the second pronunciation. At www.Dictionary.com, it's defined as: 1. A book for ready reference; a manual; a handbook. 2. A useful thing that one regularly carries about.
Immediately, I thought of my 6x9 inch notebook -- one in a long series of these, actually -- which pretty much fits both definitions above. It serves so many purposes! And since I've never even learned to program my cell phone, I can't imagine substituting a PDA for my purposes.
First, my vade mecum is the repository for my dreams, which I scribble in the dark so as not to wake my husband. (I later copy the more important ones into a permanent, hard-cover journal.)
When sunlight is peeking in the window and I'm more fully awake, I note in it my intentions before spiritual exercises, and any great revelations that appear! LOL! My most frequent note is "Chanting and thoughts."
At the breakfast table I note my to do's for the day, tasks, shopping, errands, chores. Business and personal items get listed side by side, however my brain pops out the ideas.
When I talk to a colleague or listen to a teleseminar, I jot my notes -- more tasks, brainstorming ideas, links to check out and much more. (I also doodle, revealing my mood! Question marks, smiley faces, cartoon faces, flowers, squares and irregular shapes with decorations are my main themes these days.)
When I drive off to do errands, this little notebook is open on the seat beside me. Who knows if I'll get flash of inspiration at a stoplight? I've learned to scribble a phrase or two while I drive, as well.
I manage to set it aside to spend time with my husband after work, and throughout dinner. But then, back at my computer, I'm likely to be thumbing through the pages, following up, keeping myself organized, moving the to do items into my Outlook calendar, and typing my inspired notes into their respective places -- my new ebook, my blog, articles, etc.
And then back to bed for the night, still carrying my notebook. It nestles on the corner of the bed, next to my pillow. My pen hooks over the next blank page so I always know where to start, even with lights out. On the days when my mind is in overdrive, I may doze for half an hour and then be wide awake with ideas for my current or upcoming projects. I either scribble in the dark or prop up with a small book light to capture those ideas! Once or twice a week, my thoughts are unstoppable. I actually have more material than I can quickly turn into products at the moment.
When I fill up a notebook, about every two weeks, I date the front cover, go through it once for any outstanding items that still need attention, and stack it in the retired pile. The cool thing is, any time I'm stuck for ideas, I only have to riff back through a few old notebooks to have more than enough material to spin me into productivity again.
So, my vade mecum is my notebook, my personal reference manual that tells me where I'm going and what I'm doing.
It reduces stress because I don't have to keep all this information at the front of my brain. I just have to remember to check back through my notes every couple of days and do a few of the tasks to stay current. It reduces stress because I have a way to manage and encourage my creative flow of inspiration.
And of course my vade mecum is a tool for success for exactly the same reasons. I am capturing my thoughts in a flexible and useful format, honoring my creative ideas, and helping myself stay organized and up to date with business and household tasks.
What's your vade mecum? Is there something useful that you carry everywhere? Or a handy reference you can't live without? Let me hear from you with a posting here, or an email to Dr.Ilenya@powerofpersonalpeace.com.
Have a creative and peaceful day!
Dr. Ilenya
Author of e-books:
The Power of Personal Peace:
Reducing Stress by Loving Yourself from the Inside Out,
A Way of Loving Intention
and
77 Loving Steps for Success
http://www.powerofpersonalpeace.com
A few days ago, I rediscovered a wonderful word, vade mecum, (pronounced either vay-dee-MEE-kuhm or vah-dee-MAY-kuhm. Since I had a couple of years of Latin in high school, I gravitate toward the second pronunciation. At www.Dictionary.com, it's defined as: 1. A book for ready reference; a manual; a handbook. 2. A useful thing that one regularly carries about.
Immediately, I thought of my 6x9 inch notebook -- one in a long series of these, actually -- which pretty much fits both definitions above. It serves so many purposes! And since I've never even learned to program my cell phone, I can't imagine substituting a PDA for my purposes.
First, my vade mecum is the repository for my dreams, which I scribble in the dark so as not to wake my husband. (I later copy the more important ones into a permanent, hard-cover journal.)
When sunlight is peeking in the window and I'm more fully awake, I note in it my intentions before spiritual exercises, and any great revelations that appear! LOL! My most frequent note is "Chanting and thoughts."
At the breakfast table I note my to do's for the day, tasks, shopping, errands, chores. Business and personal items get listed side by side, however my brain pops out the ideas.
When I talk to a colleague or listen to a teleseminar, I jot my notes -- more tasks, brainstorming ideas, links to check out and much more. (I also doodle, revealing my mood! Question marks, smiley faces, cartoon faces, flowers, squares and irregular shapes with decorations are my main themes these days.)
When I drive off to do errands, this little notebook is open on the seat beside me. Who knows if I'll get flash of inspiration at a stoplight? I've learned to scribble a phrase or two while I drive, as well.
I manage to set it aside to spend time with my husband after work, and throughout dinner. But then, back at my computer, I'm likely to be thumbing through the pages, following up, keeping myself organized, moving the to do items into my Outlook calendar, and typing my inspired notes into their respective places -- my new ebook, my blog, articles, etc.
And then back to bed for the night, still carrying my notebook. It nestles on the corner of the bed, next to my pillow. My pen hooks over the next blank page so I always know where to start, even with lights out. On the days when my mind is in overdrive, I may doze for half an hour and then be wide awake with ideas for my current or upcoming projects. I either scribble in the dark or prop up with a small book light to capture those ideas! Once or twice a week, my thoughts are unstoppable. I actually have more material than I can quickly turn into products at the moment.
When I fill up a notebook, about every two weeks, I date the front cover, go through it once for any outstanding items that still need attention, and stack it in the retired pile. The cool thing is, any time I'm stuck for ideas, I only have to riff back through a few old notebooks to have more than enough material to spin me into productivity again.
So, my vade mecum is my notebook, my personal reference manual that tells me where I'm going and what I'm doing.
It reduces stress because I don't have to keep all this information at the front of my brain. I just have to remember to check back through my notes every couple of days and do a few of the tasks to stay current. It reduces stress because I have a way to manage and encourage my creative flow of inspiration.
And of course my vade mecum is a tool for success for exactly the same reasons. I am capturing my thoughts in a flexible and useful format, honoring my creative ideas, and helping myself stay organized and up to date with business and household tasks.
What's your vade mecum? Is there something useful that you carry everywhere? Or a handy reference you can't live without? Let me hear from you with a posting here, or an email to Dr.Ilenya@powerofpersonalpeace.com.
Have a creative and peaceful day!
Dr. Ilenya
Author of e-books:
The Power of Personal Peace:
Reducing Stress by Loving Yourself from the Inside Out,
A Way of Loving Intention
and
77 Loving Steps for Success
http://www.powerofpersonalpeace.com
posted by Ilenya Marrin, DSS @ 11:15 AM
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