My "To-Be List" And How It'll Focus Your Daily Communications

It said "To-Be List"

I saw it every Monday.

Every week.

7 AM.

For 6 months.

And every time the notification popped up on my calendar, I thought, "Hmm," and I let it pass by.

Another Monday.

7 AM.

"To-Be List...Hmmm."

I let it pass again, that is, until December came around, and I felt it in my core.

It was time for me to make my "To-Be List."

Here's how it happened.

I was doing an assignment from my positive mindset coach creating My Perfect Day.

I wanted my perfect day to come from a place of being, so I asked myself what I wanted to experience every day. Whether it was laughter, beauty, or good food. I started there.

I wanted My Perfect Day to include things like:

? Creativity

? Beauty

? Productivity

? Contemplation

? Love

? Safety

? Friends/Family

? Nature (including animals)

? Good/Healthy Food

? Movement

? Laughter

? Gratitude

At this point in the exercise, I still hadn't remembered my "To-Be List", and so I continued working on my perfect day by identifying things I could "Do" that would allow me to feel beauty, safety, productivity, contemplation, and so on.

The list continued like this:

? Creativity would mean writing poetry, playing an instrument, singing a silly song to the cat and dogs, or cooking.

? Beauty?? Looking at colorful things like my garden, a coffee table book, or putting on a delightful blouse.

? Productivity would include straightening, organizing, or planning something. It would include calls with important people who move my business forward and the required activities that go along with those calls.

? Contemplation (something I like to do so it was easy to come up with) listen to a Tara Brach or Henry Lawrence podcast; put on some frequency music; or sit in the garden and look at the plants.

? Love. This could be as easy as receiving messages from friends and family; holding hands with my husband and kissing good morning and good night. Or, feeling the love of my animals.

? Safety would equal feeling warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot and staying far from physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional danger.

If you'd like to read my full activity list, drop me a DM and I'll send it to you, but for now, let's move to the final step which is my "To-Do List."

It was December 30th when I opened my calendar. It was:

Monday.

7 AM.

And guess what popped up?

My "To-Be List" notification.

Yep!

And so, I began to formulate the words I wanted to embody to communicate and live my life.

I want to be:

• Vital
• Kind
• Patient
• Creative
• Approachable
• Open-minded
• Joyful
• Helpful
• Adventurous?
• Content

I'm quite happy with this list and feel that it can serve me anytime I get overwhelmed, overworked, or simply, confused about how life is moving.

When I present, lead a meeting, or have a general conversation, I can ask myself if I am coming from this place. And you can do the same thing when you have your "To-Be List!"

If you'd like to see more details about how all of this relates to communication (and learn ways to focus your attention on being instead of doing), you can check out the first article of 2025 from my English Communication Confidence Blog. It's called: Master Your Communication Skills With A "To-Be" Mindset.

It's worth the read!

After reading the blog, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Then, follow my LinkedIn posts and emails this month because I'll be going more deeply into the subject of "Being" this month.

Keep scrolling for other exciting information ????

The Month Ahead

CommSkills Live: Your Monthly Communication Mastery

I'm kicking off 2025 with a new monthly series called CommSkills Live and you can find it each month here on LinkedIn??.

It'll be a 10-15 minute talk where I explore the Newsletter topic of the month. This month we'll look at mastering communication with a To-Be List!

So, mark your calendar for the first CommSkills Live:

???January 16th

? 11:30 AM EST?

???On LinkedIn

??? Sign Up Here

Grab your favorite beverage, put on your headset, and tune in to boost your communication.

Coaching Engagement Openings

2025 is here and if you or someone in your organization is ready for some communication fine-tuning, I've got some private coaching spaces available.

Drop me an email at [email protected] and we can talk about what communication success looks like, ok?

I'd love to add you to this month's agenda.

News Worth Mentioning

Embracing Age

Age is a funny thing.

And the way people feel about their age varies from person to person.

For me, I always wished to be older.

I somehow believed that when I hit a "certain" age, I'd be respected.

I'm not sure why respect was so entrenched in my mind as an end-all-be-all state for me, but it was.

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of being highly regarded.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I still didn't have a feeling of groundedness.

But, when I was in my 40s, that feeling I had longed for my whole life appeared. "Oh, yes, this is the age I wish to be!"

And I loved my 40s. The need to feel respected wasn't so much what I was feeling as much as just loving the experiences I had accumulated that made me, me.

The truth is that I always had to work very hard in life.

?? Hard to get an A- in school

?? Hard to feel comfortable in a room

?? Hard to make myself a successful entrepreneur

Luckily hard work didn't scare me.

But now that I am about to turn 60 this year, I realize that hard work and respect, although related to one another, are not the pinnacle of success.

Being comfortable in your skin...

?? not needing to prove anything to anyone

?? not desiring to be anyone but myself

?? not longing to feel something other than what is there in the moment.

I felt this was worth mentioning as we begin 2025 because I want YOU to feel comfortable in your skin no matter your age.

And I want you to always remember that I'm here to see you and cheer you on however I can!

What People Are Liking

LinkedIn Post Of The Month (December 2024)

As 2024 came to a close, people were drawn to my LinkedIn post about Grace.

Click here to read some non-religious ways to think about it and to join in on the great comments made.

Also, get notified each time I post on LinkedIn by ringing the bell under my banner on the right side of my profile.

Favorite Tip Of The Month (December 2024)

Every week, subscribers to my Educational Email List receive tips and tricks for using The Diamond Method?? communication frameworks. Here’s a link to the most opened email of December 2024. Hint: Passion is a gift in life that goes way people romance.

If you like what you read, SIGN UP HERE TO RECEIVE MY PERSONALIZED WEEKLY TIPS

YouTube Video Of The Month (December 2024)

December's YouTube video shows the importance of preparation and practice in achieving positive communication results.

Dig into this video here and learn the basics so you can:

? Manage those nerves

? Wow senior management

? And feel more comfortable as a public speaker

And, if you're not already a subscriber to the channel, go ahead and subscribe now so you can hear all the ways I can guide you in polishing your spoken English.

What Graduates Are Saying About The Diamond Method??

Oded Rozenblum, Managing Partner at Expert Executive Recruiters

While living and working in the United States, I personally worked with Jill as my communication coach. She is a special person and a highly effective trainer. Just when I thought I wasn't making progress, I got an email from a colleague telling me that my English writing skills were excellent and that the classes were doing wonders for me. As the COO/CFO of Tefen, USA at the time, I decided to bring Jill to our San Jose office to run a presentation skills workshop for the team there. The feedback was very positive with people commenting on Jill's friendly approach making it easier to participate and how they were not embarrassed to try new things because they could trust in Jill's genuine care. Personally, I recommend Jill to any professional who is ready to develop their communication. She is a pro and will make you feel like you can be one too!

And, for more graduate comments, scroll down to the recommendations section of my LinkedIn profile by clicking here.

Ready to take the next step in your spoken English, book a Communication Confidence Breakthrough Guaranteed Call with me to get started today.

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If you are meeting me for the first time or simply would like to know more about me, you can hop over here to learn about the passion I put into my communication skills coaching.

If you are meeting me for the first time or simply would like to know more about me, you can hop over here to learn about the passion I put into my communication skills coaching.

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