He has half the deed done who has made a beginning.

— Horace —

Tools of the Trade -

Every design profession has its tools. The architect has T-squares and CAD programs. The interior designer has art supplies and inspiration scrapbooks. You, too, will need tools to Design Your Great Life.

Your Toolbox can be notebooks and pens, or computer oriented. I find that I use both. I tend to do a bit of brainstorming on paper with colored pens, then move onto the computer for working out details. I also like to go for walks and carry note cards with a pen to jot down something if I get an idea. Back at home, I put these ideas on my computer for use later on. You should experiment with your own process. A Toolbox list of supplies is found below and there are instructions for Setting Up Your DYGL Binder.

As you work on the exercises and worksheets throughout the site, you will see time icons which will indicate how long an exercise will take. Many sections offer 5 minute, 15 minutes, and hour exercises, so you can manage your time accordingly. If an item is marked for an hour, don't hesitate to break that item into smaller segments if you need to. It is much better to get things done in "turtle steps" than to not get them done at all.

Time Icons

1 minute	5 minutes	15 minutes	1 hour

You will want to build a library of books, music, and scrapbooks to keep for learning and inspiration. Pull out a few of your favorites that you already have. These may be favorite novels that uplifted you, or self-help books, or magazine articles, or religious inspiration. Pull out some music that makes you feel good and optimistic. Items that make you feel good and inspired are essential to Designing the Great Life.

You may also have a few personal items that represent something of importance to you. When I was writing my book, Healing the Fisher King: Spiritual Lessons with Parzival, Gump, the Grail, Tao, and Star Wars, I kept a little crystal castle on my desk, as it is a book centered around the Grail and the King of the Grail Castle. What was special about the castle was that it was on a little hill with stairs, but the hill showed this multi-colored subterranean cavern, reminding me that what was hidden was as beautiful as what was seen. Since my book centers around personal development, this was an important concept to me. So even if you are in a de cluttering mood and are throwing things out, remember that it is OK to have a few items around that have special importance to you.

Getting Started also means to have the right mental attitude. Always start your Design Process with a positive mental attitude. It doesn't mean that you are not aware of bills to be paid, and kids' teeth to be fixed, but that by having a positive attitude, you will be free to make conscious choices that move you ahead with your problems and not be relying on quick fixes that keep you in a negative circle.

Basic Toolbox

1. Colored pens. Use these for brainstorming sessions, or to color code notes on your worksheets.
2. A 3" Binder.
3. Paper for Binder.
4. Pads of paper for creative brainstorming. I like 1/4" graph paper. You might like colored paper, blank paper, or yellow legal pads.
5. Paper punch that fits your binder.
6. Divider tabs. For the setup below, I use 12 tabs.
7. Note cards or small notebook for on-the-go idea taking. I also have a small note card holder which holds about 25 note cards. This helps keep the cards together as I walk or travel.
8. Journals. Along with the exercises, Journal / Note Taking exercises are provided for more in depth personal reflection. These could be set up within a binder, a word processing program, or a journal notebook.
9. Sketchbooks and/or Scrapbooks. You can use sketchbooks or scrapbooks for creating Design Scrapbooks, or plain white paper which can be inserted into a binder.

Computer Toolbox (optional tools to work with)

1. Word Processor program such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect.
2. Microsoft OneNote program. This is one of my favorite tools for creatively organizing thoughts and resources.
3. Spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel.

Setting Up Your Designing Your Great Life Binder

1. I use 12 tabs. As you go along, you may add more as suits your lifestyle.
2. These are the categories I use:
   1. Current: This will hold the worksheets and notes for the projects you are currently working on. You may also want to add a calendar to this section.
   2. Spirit
   3. Skills & Education
   4. Relationships
   5. Health & Fitness
   6. Surroundings
   7. Time
   8. Finances
   9. Work
   10. Personal
   11. Blank Sheets: I find it handy to print out several of The STARS System worksheets to keep on hand.
   12. Archive: Use this section to hold worksheets and notes you want to hold on to, but are not using.