Loading...A Fearful Bookworm
February 10th, 2011 in Uncategorized
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I am a list maker. At any given time these days I have lists on the go for:
My work “to do’s” (will you think me quite anal when I tell you this particular list has a dozen sub-sections?)
Tasks in preparation for the arrival of my baby (due March 4th)
Shopping in preparation for the baby and my trip to the hospital for labour and delivery
Blog ideas
Business development prospects
Groceries
Thank you notes to write
Making lists and accomplishing the items is satisfying to me. It also helps me to focus. Did you know that the brain of a pregnant woman is 3-8% smaller? I cannot blaim pregnancy though. I have been a list maker for as long as I can remember. You will see below what motivates me to make lists but before I expose myself, I want to share one particular list with you.
This is a list of all the books I have read since the beginning of December. I knew I had been reading a lot but was astounded when I listed them all.
Non Fiction
- The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels- Michael Watkins
- The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work- Shawn Achor
- The Leadership Challenge- Kouzes & Posner
- Changing My Mind- Margaret Trudeau
- Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain- Portia de Rossi
- The Art of Non-Conformity- Chris Guillebeau
- Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual- Michael Pollen
- The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy (or Everything Your Doctor Won’t Tell You) – Vicki Iodine
Fiction
- The Help – Kathryn Socket
- The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
- Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures – Vincent Lam
- Olive Kitteridge – Elizabeth Strout
- The Distant Hours - Kate Morton (I gave up with 100 pages left as it was dragging!)
In Progress
- Best feeding: How to Breastfeed Your Baby - Suzanne Arms, Chloe Fisher, and Mary Renfrew
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child – Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
- The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer - Harvey Karp M.D.
- The Book of Awesome – Neil Pasricha (There is a great TED Talk by Neil here)
- Insert good fiction book here…anyone have any suggestions? I would like to read something that doesn’t talk about the five steps on how to soothe your baby with the Cuddle Cure!
I said I have a point and I do. I could talk about how making lists increases productivity but you likely know that already. What is way more interesting to me is what motivates me to make all these lists (and what motivated me to read like crazy during the past two months). I believe it is fear. Fear of forgetting something and looking bad. Fear of not delivering and dissappointing someone. Fear of not being prepared. And in the case of the reading…fear of having no time to ever read again once I have a child!
Yes, of course I am also motivated by productivity, great client service, and especially all the learning I gain from books. But isn’t it interesting that fear is right up there?
I wouldn’t change how I have behaved the past couple of months. I will soon wind down from my work and I will feel good knowing I have served my clients well and that I am as prepared as one can be to have my baby. Similarly, I wouldn’t unread any of the books I choose to read.
But isn’t it interesting to notice all the places fear shows up? Where does it show up for you?
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Related posts:
- A Fearful Finch Flies From the Nest
- A Procrastination Buster for Entrepreneurs- Part 2
- Creating a Meaningful Life
- How Do You Show Up for No-Show Clients?
- Learn to Write/ Write to Learn
Wow Lisa, you HAVE read a lot! By the way, the brain shrinkage thing isn’t thought to really happen- it was just one study 10 years ago but got a lot of publicity. The effect is real however – more recent studies have shown that it’s likely to due to changes in Oxytocin hormone and also that the mother is so preoccupied with preparing for the birth, that other things are forgotten – nature’s way to ensure the mother prioritizes the baby!
Good to have the neuroscientist weigh in! Thanks, Emma. As Claire says, “The only thing a pregnant women can focus on is her naval!”. It’s true in part though life and business requires the focus to be elsewhere too (fortunately). As I write this, the baby is moving…that’s a bit of irony right there