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The Value of a "Someday, Maybe" List

Is your creative brain constantly generating ideas?

Like ideas that...

pop up out of nowhere, full of potential- but you’re not quite sure what to do with them yet
feel like a slow simmer, taking up valuable real estate in your head- but you need more time to contemplate the meaning and validity
give you a surge of energy, making you want to drop everything and start NOW- but you have so much on your plate already and feel torn about what to do

If that sounds like your brain on any given day, I want to introduce you to one of the most freeing, sanity-saving tools I use in both life and business: the “Someday, Maybe” list.

The "Someday, Maybe" list is a tool that comes from author and productivity expert David Allen’s legendary book "Getting Things Done."

This tool, and the concept behind it, has helped many Creatives, including myself and my Clients, honor the process of generating creative ideas, without compromising one's sanity or self-worth.

What exactly is a “Someday, Maybe” list?

It’s a dedicated space to capture all your brilliant, creative ideas, without any expectation about if or when you'll take action.

Your list can be captured on:

a digital note on your phone's note app
a running tally on a Google doc
a dedicated composition notebook
loose notebook paper, housed in a 3-ring binder with a tab labeled "Someday, Maybe"

Start by choosing a format, then get in the habit of adding all those ideas (the ones you're not ready or able to act on, right now) to your new "Someday, Maybe" list.

The format you choose doesn’t matter, and is likely to evolve over time.

What does matter is having an easily accessible, go-to spot where all your ideas can be recorded- at any given moment in time, no matter where you are or what you're doing.

Having your designated list and a format that works is only part of the value this tool provides.

The remaining value comes when you actually use it for the purpose intended:

to get all your ideas out of your head
to capture them in one designated spot
to let them live on your list until you're ready to take action
to free up creative space in your brilliant mind for more creative ideas!

Starting your "Someday, Maybe" list means you can trust all your ideas to land and live- safely and securely- in one designated place. And in the future, you'll know exactly where to go to jog your memory about that one idea that got you super excited when you were driving between appointments or out on your morning walk.

Personally, I use two formats to capture my ideas:

a digital note on my phone titled "Someday, Maybe" for on-the-go brain dumps
a physical binder with a "Someday, Maybe" tab that I review on a regular basis

Each quarter as part of my 90 Day Planning, I revisit my lists and ask:

Is now the time to take action on this idea?
Or do I want to let it live on this list, until timing feels better?

How will you know when it's time to take action?

Ask yourself: “If I pursued and completed this idea, would it move me closer to my big-picture goals- where I want to be 1, 3, or 5 years from now?”

If the answer is murky or full-bodied NO-
- Let it stay, safe and secure, living on your "Someday, Maybe" list. The timing is not right.
- Just let those creative ideas live without any action needed, and confidently let go of any shame, pressure or doubt about needing to do more, to be productive or accomplished.
If the answer is an exciting or full-bodied YES-
- Great- how exciting! But you still have a decision to make.
- It's time to decide whether or not you want to add this idea to your list of active goals for the upcoming month, quarter or year.

Even if an idea aligns with your big picture goals, it's important to slow down, step back and consider if you actually have the physical space and mental capacity to pursue it, right now.

Whatever you're doing- life and business- you want to make sure your weekly flow feels smooth and energy-giving vs. feeling topsy-turvy and draining.

If you squeeze goal-getting actions into an already maxed-out weekly flow, you might create chaos, rather than creating progress.

However, if you can sprinkle a regular dose of a few, impactful goal-getting actions into your weekly flow, you'll find those smaller consistent actions add-up to big, significant growth and change!

How can you take action with ease and confidence?

Before committing to action on one of your creative, brilliant ideas, consider one of my favorite metaphors about how fertilizer can help or hurt a plant, of any kind.

When sprinkled in small, regular doses, fertilizer can help a plant thrive- growing into the most healthy and beautiful version of itself.

When sprinkled in too large a dose and/or frequency, fertilizer can actually overwhelm, harm or even kill the root system of a once living, thriving plant.

Interesting, huh?

So, before committing to action, ask yourself: "How can I sprinkle goal-getting actions into my weekly flow like growth-inducing fertilizer on a fresh green plant?”

Instead of going full-force and burning out, start with a small, intentional dose of action. This approach can support healthy, steady growth, that you can build on over time. It can also create not just steady growth, but also sustainable growth that leads to sustainable change, too!

Translation: Start small. Sprinkle one or two actions into your Weekly Flow. Let them take root before adding more.

What’s the real value of a "Someday, Maybe" list?

It gives you permission to be creative...
- As a creative, your mind is constantly generating ideas, but when you're overwhelmed- your creativity can take a hit. And let's face it- that means your ability to create for your clients can take a hit, too.
- Starting the "Someday, Maybe" list gives you permission to generate ideas without limits or expectations.
- I've come to realize how much I love the actual process of generating ideas! Sometimes, I flip through my list just to remind myself of how innovative and expansive I can be. That alone gives me energy. It reminds me I have endless options and possibilities. That I’m never stuck.
It gives you permission to let go of the pressure to act on every idea...
- Just because you’re absolutely capable of doing something (and let's face it- you're capable of doing a great many, wonderful things), it doesn’t mean the timing is always ideal for taking action.
- With the "Someday, Maybe" list, you can thoughtfully and intentionally make sound decisions about where to invest your resources (time, energy and creativity).
It lets you honor your creativity, without tying your self-worth to your productivity...
- You’re not less valuable because you didn’t act on every idea.
- You’re not stuck if an idea stays on the list for a year (or five).
- You’re a beautiful creative person who generates brilliant ideas. That alone is powerful, worthwhile goodness!