Getting lists in shape with a celebrity fitness artist

- Nicole Winhoffer

Nicole grew up in New York City, the daughter of a strong, successful Filipino mother and a determined German father. Her upbringing was strict, but her parents were fierce motivators, and she always had a healthy curiosity for what happened outside the lines. She began dancing at the age of seven, booked her first Broadway show at 16, and left school shortly thereafter to pursue a career in the entertainment business. Over the course of the next few years, Nicole appeared in a number of high-profile New York shows until she became music icon Madonna’s personal trainer – a role Nicole held for six years before helping the megastar open eight of her Hard Candy fitness gyms around the world. Recognizing her love of working with others and helping people fulfill their potential through training and teaching, Nicole set out on her own to build a health and fitness brand that is already thriving. Today, Nicole works hard on building her business — and as a master list-maker, she relies on the Post-it® Brand to keep herself focused and organized.

“Everything is important to me – both the big picture and the small details. I guess I’m a perfectionist on many levels, so the key to not being overwhelmed is to write lists that help me prioritize and stay focused. With so much going on, it can be challenging to stay on top of it all, but I like being challenged – it teaches me that I don’t know everything!”

Every day, Nicole uses Post-it® Super Sticky Notes to give herself simple reminders, like what to pick up from the store — or to post positive sayings on her wall for motivation. She also uses Post-it® List Notes in her notebooks to help plan new workouts. In Nicole’s classes, she’ll move those same Post-it® List Notes to the mirror of her studio, giving herself and her students reference points for routines and workouts.

Whether she’s planning out new business strategies or creating the next set of movements for her classes, Nicole often brainstorms in what she calls her “mad scientist mode” by jotting down lots of ideas on Post-it® Super Sticky Notes and putting them on a wall. That way, she can evaluate their importance, and how the ideas and priorities flow together. After a mad scientist session, she clears everything away to start fresh. Sometimes, she color-codes Post-it® Super Sticky Notes to different chakras (in Eastern spirituality, chakras refer to each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body, usually considered to be seven in number), Everything gets its own color – the Post-it® Super Sticky Notes help Nicole align her ideas and list-making process with her holistic philosophies.

While short-term list making is essential to Nicole’s every day life and planning, she tends to describe herself as more of a long-term list-maker, and she finds pleasure in mapping out her big picture goals and ideas for the future. An avid researcher in constant search of new ideas and findings, Nicole keeps detailed notebooks of everything she finds inspiring and useful. She uses Post-it® Flags and Post-it® Tabs to easily label, organize and easily access these reference materials.

For others looking to “up their game” as master planners, Nicole has the following tips:

• If you feel the fear, do it anyway
• If it seems impossible, you are on the right path
• Be the observer of your life – pay attention to the patterns in your life and you’ll understand what should change
• Do something you’ve never done before – every week

Nicole’s openness to the unexpected fuels her desire to motivate people through dance, fitness and health. “I truly believe that magic happens in the dark, the unknown, and the uncertain. That is where you create and evolve. That is where the challenge and the struggle push you to attain something higher and greater. The legacy I want to leave behind in the world is that if you dream big enough and push hard enough, you can accomplish your goals. I want to innovate and inspire.”

Want to learn more about your productivity style? Find out your list-making style.