January 4, 2012
Warning: A Lust For Lists
BY John Paul Narowski IN Productivity 0 Comment
The New Year has always been thought of as a time of change and new direction. We make huge lists of resolutions and plans of what want to change. Sometimes that’s as far as we go yet we have to take things a step further in order to accomplish our lists for this upcoming year.
The tip of the iceberg
The list is merely the start of things. It is nothing more than an outline of a plan that we dream of. Whatever format you use – from using a notepad and forming your list, we have transformed to using your PDA’s, computer programs, and online systems that do something a little different than just write down a few thoughts- they schedule.
Scheduling rather than listing
The list is still good, yet you have to take it a step forward. A list alone is merely a lust for thought. You think, but do not plan. You say, but fail to do. So, you schedule to ensure that you will do. Luckily, these electronic devices that convenience our life possess an array of abilities that make scheduling easy. When you form your list, arrange for time to be able to accomplish each item. If you don’t, a list will merely frustrate you as a reminder that you have yet to do something about it. When you schedule, you set that time to the side. Even if it is next week, or the week after, you are going to have an appointment with your plans.
A bit of initiative
Your mind set has to desire to do this. If you plan to make your list into a schedule, all you’ve done is make another list. Sit down and start scheduling your list. Even if it’s not your final design, it’s the beginning. And once you’ve started, that is half the work.
Prevention planning
Sadly, the New Year start is possibly the one time of the year that we do think about the future. I’m not talking just talking about tomorrow, but all the days after as well.
Prevention is the first line of defense. Ask yourself:
- Do I know all the steps to accomplish what I want this year?
- Do I have all the resources available to accomplish what I want to this year?
For every item on your list, write down the three or four things that need to occur or that you need to have to make completing that item on your list inevitable.
Time management
What it all comes down to is being able to manage your time. Your lists are just that- lists. They are simple reminders. They are only “to d0’s”. Yet, when you’re serious and put your list item in your “time budget” then you’ve taken the action necessary to complete it. Taking the initiative to schedule your time bestows enormous value for you and your business. You analyze what needs to be done, and manage your time so that it can be done. This New Year, lose your lust for lists, and schedule time to accomplish your goals.
Lists that provide a road-map to completion, a timeline to do that and a way to track that are vital success tools to make your new year great!
