| Every year I weed my garden. I try to weed | | | | existed before. The great part was that at the |
| whatever doesn't feel good, including chores, | | | | time, learning felt like a choice; I learned these |
| inanimate objects (dying plants) and people (yes, | | | | things to reach some coaching goals I set and |
| people!). I use a trick called Bag It, Barter It, | | | | working toward those goals felt delicious. |
| Better It. It's a brilliant exercise that you can do | | | | However, there were other technological |
| on your own, requiring you to look over your | | | | challenges I needed to overcome, and they felt |
| to-do list, see what you don't like doing, and | | | | awful. So I listened to how I felt, and I hired |
| decide what to bag, barter, or better. | | | | someone to design, implement and distribute my |
| Bag It! (Don't do it.) | | | | newsletter. It was worth every penny. It freed |
| I bagged picking up the dry cleaning and making | | | | me up to do the things that I love, the things that |
| dinner during the week. I now have a dry cleaning | | | | bring energy, vitality and bliss to my life...coaching, |
| pickup and delivery service, and my husband picks | | | | writing, spending time with my family, biking and |
| up dinner on his way home from work. These | | | | reading. This is one of the benefits of weeding |
| two things made me want to dance on my dining | | | | my garden: I can spend my time doing things that |
| room table. | | | | feel great. |
| Barter It! (Get someone else to do it.) | | | | Here's how you can weed your own garden. |
| Last year I bartered with my children. They now | | | | Start by making a list of all the things you have |
| feed the dog, set and clear the table nightly, wash | | | | to do. |
| the dishes, and take out the trash. This invokes | | | | Next, note which tasks create any sort of stress |
| more dancing on my part. My son also puts away | | | | or tension for you. |
| the groceries when I return from the store. This | | | | Ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" What would |
| brings on the jitterbug! These things make me | | | | happen if you didn't do ti? Why would that be so |
| want to kiss my children, but only after I kiss | | | | horrific? Do this with your chores, the plants you |
| myself for being so brilliant and realizing I don't | | | | keep watering that you really don't like, and the |
| have to be General Manager of the Universe. | | | | people you spend your time with. |
| Better It! (Make the tasks a little more enjoyable.) | | | | Then, see if you can bag the task. Don't do it. |
| I bettered the tasks I don't care for but still need | | | | If you can't bag it, see if you can barter it. Trade |
| to do, like grocery shopping, by buying myself a | | | | with someone who loves to do what you love to |
| yogurt on the way home. This makes me want | | | | do. Bartering also includes paying someone! |
| to dance like John Travolta in Staying Alive! | | | | Lastly, brainstorm how you can make the task |
| This year I'm going to do the same exercise | | | | better. |
| because I noticed that I've unconsciously added | | | | What will you weed out this year? I guarantee |
| things to my "to do" list without my own consent. | | | | that you if you take the time to complete this |
| In other words, I let my subconscious mind, the | | | | exercise, you'll discover a brown patch in your |
| default mode part of my mind, agree to things | | | | garden. Imagine clearing that space and allowing |
| without running it by my conscious mind first. | | | | something new and green to grow into something |
| Becoming a coach has required me to learn | | | | beautiful. |
| technological stuff that I never even knew | | | | |