Color-Coded Brain Dumps

Dear Friends,

Can we be honest for a minute? There are days when I feel so overwhelmed with all the to-dos, I don’t even know where to start. I am a list-maker at heart, so much so, I once had a list of all my lists. Yes, Friends, your girl is that girl. But there are times when even the best list doesn’t help me sort the swirling mass of thoughts and questions up in the ol’ noggin.

For example, right now, I’m supposed to be working on my next book. The plan is to put it in my editor’s hands next month. Is it anywhere near being ready? Nope. Am I stressed about that? Yep. Did I buckle down and get some words out? HA!

Every time I try, my head wanders to something else I’m supposed to be doing: the proposals I’m supposed to be working on, the research I need to do, the toddler birthday gifts I need to buy, the house that needs to be cleaned, laundry to fold . . .

See what I mean? Lists.

What do you do when you can’t focus? Some people take walks, or bake, or organize cabinets. All lovely, productive things.

Me? I buy office supplies. My theory is that the more I can organize my brain dumps, the more productive I can be. As if my crazy can be contained in notebooks and color-coded folders. But it soothes me, and that’s what counts, right? My stack of unused notebooks rivals my TBR pile. I’m just going to call it my TBW —to be written—stack.

I can’t help it. The clean, wide-open spaces on those pages is the exact opposite of what’s happening in my head, and in my house, since we’re being honest.

Anyway, all this is to say that I got new notebooks and folders and post-its, and now I’m staring at the blank pages, worried they’re too pretty for my crazy. Unless I use color pens and highlighters, which can make anything pretty. I have an entire desk drawer full of pens and highlighters. I don’t need more. I don’t need more. I don’t need more. I don’t need more. I’m totally going to get more.

I’ve added the pictures (and links) to my new loot below. I am not affiliated with Amazon, and I’m not getting anything in return for talking about these things, I just really like office supplies and notebooks and all the accessories. Thank you for listening.

Wish me luck,