The human mind is truly incredible, and we should all strive towards
creating a tenacious memory we can rely on. Many lucrative professions
or hobbies require such a trait—actors, musicians, artists and
entertainers in general do countless drills, just so the required
information can be embedded in the memory with certainty. Clearly
numerous doors that lead to a successful future are unlocked if one has a
great memory. Although beneficial, it is not an essential ingredient
within the success formula—what you lack in memory can always be
compensated with diligence.
Keeping track of crucial elements in your life through list-making is
still an unrivaled tactic for counterbalancing feeble recollection. By
utilizing constant reminders, we can have significantly greater
organization, we won’t be under the impression we have forgotten
something, and we will have a clear insight into which task has a stamp
of immediacy attached to it. Here are ten suggested lists that warrant
implementation, in order to track achievements and nurture ambition.
1. List of Goals
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”
—Zig Ziglar
Goals and ambition is what drives us and motivates us, but we need to
ask ourselves what is it that we want in order to feel truly
accomplished. Your list of goals should consists of all the items that
you deem are necessary to truly respect yourself. It can be financial
stability, a place you can call your own, starting your family, being
independent, etc. People have different criteria when it comes to goals,
and this list in particular is ever-growing; it changes as you mature,
but it always feels great when you cross something out of it. Without
such a list, you lose direction of where your life is heading, and we
all need some inner guidance to focus on—a good reason to get up in the
morning.
2. List of Tasks
“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.”
—Theodore Isaac Rubin
Tasks are actually milestones on the road to goal completion, and
these lists have a tendency to become quite copious. New tasks emerge on
a daily basis, regardless of whether you are an employee, a student, or
a freelancer. Despite the fact that they are arduous, we always have
some sense of achievement once the task is complete, or when a certain
problem is solved. By avoiding to make such lists and lists of our daily
tasks, they’ll simply pile up and eventually become a hindrance.
In the event you have larger tasks that need more than a day, a week
or a month before they can be completed, then break those tasks into
smaller daily assignments, and put them on the list as well. As long as
you monitor larger tasks while completing minor daily milestones, you
will have a greater grip on progression and continuous source of
motivation. List and sticky notes are actually quite potent tools for increase in productivity, especially while we are working from home.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that you should also have a list of
personal tasks, or tasks you do for the sake of self-fulfillment. These
are related to your personal goals, and governing passions—writing a
book, painting, crafting etc. These tasks will define you and offer a
much greater sense of achievement, so give it your all to create
something you can be proud of.
3. List of Contacts
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.”
—Aristotle
It would be delusional to assume you can make it all on your own;
however, at the same time, a flawed partnership can result in disastrous
outcome as well. It is extremely difficult to find compatible allies
and contacts, since friends and family—in other words, people close to
you—may not be the best choice for a business partner. If you want to
enter into a partnership with someone, make sure the person shares the
same vision. Tread lightly and try to ascertain your potential partner’s
level of reliability.
Throughout life, we come across skillful, capable and talented
people, whose competence might be needed in the future, depending on
your line of work of course. Do not be hesitant to offer a helping hand
when they are in need, since you can gain a valuable contact. The point
being: make a special list of all important contacts, like reliable
programmers, handymen, lawyers, etc. Remember not to only reach out when
you are in need. You need to maintain a healthy and natural
relationship and be there for those people if they require your
assistance. Truth be told, it can be arduous to forge strong friendship
bonds, but having important acquaintances and becoming an important
acquaintance is very much possible.
Without such a list, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to possible
future complications; moreover, make sure this list is well-kept since
once you lose a contact like this one, it can be somewhat troublesome to
recover such data. Just be sure you have recovery data tools at your
disposal to mitigate the damage if something were to happen to your phone.
4. List of Expenses
“A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.”
—Jonathan Swift
This may be a quite mundane piece of advice, yet it is very often
neglected. As we all know, there are two types of expenses: those that
are necessary, (bills, taxes, food) and those expenditures used for
indulging some personal cravings. There is a degree of restraint that
the majority of us lack in order to approach the matter with a
satisfying level of prudence. To say it bluntly, we treat our wants like
our needs, and necessities and primary obligations are pushed in the
background. Of course, this may sound a bit exaggerated, but the truth
is the pressure of a consumer’s culture eventually becomes overwhelming,
resulting in a purchase we shouldn’t be able to afford at the time.
This kind of behavior can be avoided by utilizing lists, and turning
them into an omnipresent reminder of what is truly important.
By making lists of all the monthly expenses we are obligated to pay,
we’ll have a clear overview with how much resources are there at our
disposal. On the other hand, without this list filled with meticulous
calculations, we are prone to believing that we have more freedom to
engage in a shopping spree, ultimately causing our bills to pile up;
thus, we end up a step closer to a financial suicide.
Handling finances properly, or the fact that we prioritize the costs of
living, is a responsibility that signifies maturity. Success is
commonly measured by the amount of wealth and without adequate spending
tactics, you prevent its accumulation.
5. List of Useful Tools
“If you’re the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it.”
—Vin Diesel
Today’s society vastly depends on the use of technology—we exchange
information, conduct calculations, measure time, etc. This level of
reliability also suggests liability. If something were to happen to our
cell phone or personal computer, it would be a sizable setback that
could harm our capabilities severely. As mentioned, losing contacts can
truly be troublesome. It is even worse however, to have your life’s work
lost and compromised.
Useful tools are not only limited to recovering damage; they also
encompass tools that make your job easier. With efficiency and a greater
level of competence, you are a step closer toward success. Using the
right apps and tools can make up for our lack of skills in a particular
area, or simply help us manage our work in a more timely manner. Keeping
a list of useful tools will come in handy whenever you are faced with
more common problems, like finding a good restaurant for a business
dinner, driving through unfamiliar terrain, task management, learning,
and there are even tools capable of helping you recover stolen property.
Even though the list is not as crucial as the ones mentioned so far,
it is undeniable that having it can save you a lot of time if the need
for it ever arises. The Internet is a vast sea of both useful and
useless tools, and by filtering out those that are irrelevant, you won’t
have to conduct countless searches when you are in need of adequate
tools for problem solving.
6. List of Self Improvements
“The minute that you’re not learning I believe you’re dead.”
—Jack Nicholson
Reasonable to assume this one is unavoidable, and it always deserves
to be mentioned. It is safe to assume we are all aware of our
shortcomings; if not all of them at least some of them. Think about
yourself, make a list of all the things you would like to improve or change,
then consider how to implement those changes. Despite the fact that
those who are close to you do not pressure you into changing or
improving, you should always make constant endeavours to do so, for your
own sake.
The list of improvements should consist of physical changes, changes
spiritual in nature, abandoning bad habits etc. No one expects you to
change entirely in a short time period, but making a decision to change
one thing on a yearly basis is a viable resolution, quite easy to
execute. The list is there simply to remind you which improvement to
prioritize, and build up your confidence after each completion. Refusing
to change can either result in lack of confidence and depression, or
becoming an overconfident and self-absorbed person that no one will
tolerate for long; both of these traits are contradictory to your quest
for a successful future.
7. List of Creative Ideas
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
—Waldo Emerson
Throughout history, people who made the most significant impact on
the world were those with a revolutionary way of thinking, those who
dared to challenge the established order and alter the status quo. For an idea to be classified as creative,
it needs to be new, it needs to make sense, and it needs to have some
sort of use. For example, creating something to help the disabled
communicate online, or simply type—that way, people who have lost their
limbs could blog or become creative writers, and show the world a piece
of their mind. Thus a keyboard in a form of braces could enable them to
type using their tongue; however I am not an engineer, so I do not know
whether something like this is possible.
Whenever a new idea comes to your mind write it down, then browse the
web to see if you indeed have stumbled upon something ground-breaking.
Once your list has grown, then you need to start pondering on the
subject to see whether it holds closer scrutiny. Ask for a second
opinion and see what you would need to realize your idea. In a majority
of cases, this is how successful people are created. Rest assured that
it is very possible that people won’t be impressed with your creativity
as much as you are, but do not allow yourself to be discouraged—after
all, perseverance has a crucial role in a career as well. Monitoring
your thoughts incites productive thinking and hones your focus; it keeps
our mind occupied. Letting your good ideas slide is only a wasted
potential that will put your progress in a halt.
8. List of Future Plans
“The future is uncertain but the end is always near.”
―Jim Morrison
We have all heard statements like “Tomorrow is a mystery,” “Live for
today,” and “You can’t affect the future.” Personally, I heavily
disagree with such a point of view. Although I do agree that, in
particular circumstances, making plans for the future is doing Sisyphus
work, not planning it at all seems utterly mortifying. I also believe
that everyone makes some sort of plan; the problem is this fear of
uncertainty that thwarts our will to act.
To make your resolve more adamant, compile a list of your future
plans, see what you need in order to make them come true. This one is
very similar to the first list—the one with goals; the difference is, it
does not have to involve your personal future. Rather, it is list of
upcoming important events, important changes in law, or upcoming trends,
useful software, etc. It will keep you well-informed and prepared,
since staying updated and relevant are essential virtues for lucrative
businessmen.
9. List of Contingency Plans
“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.”
—Denzel Washington
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning there is
nothing you can do without consequences. Every attempt to be more
successful usually has a set of barriers attached to it, or risks. Even
though risks are inevitable, being prepared for the aftermath is always a good
and necessary thing. When you plan your business incentives, or when
you plan to invest in something, make sure you compose a thorough pros
and cons list, as well as a list of possible negative scenarios. In the
event that positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, you can be more
encouraged to proceed further.
Make an effort to be constantly prepared for the backlash of major
initiatives, and contain the possible damage. The lack of contingency
implies recklessness, and it was adamantly made clear how this approach
contradicts advancement. Make leaps of faith only when you have no other
options to explore.
10. Bucket List
“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.”
—Harriet Beecher Stowe
Finally, learn to live for the sake of experiencing what life has to
offer. It is invigorating, to say the least, and it keeps your regrets
at minimum. One of the reasons why we want to be successful is to
actually fulfil our dreams or complete our bucket list, to look back on
our life during old age with a warm smile rather than a frown. Feel free
to put even the impossible things on your bucket list, and find the
next best thing using your creativity. Whenever you reach a rough patch
in your life, take a look at you bucket list and see what is the most
plausible thing to do in order to restore your will power and keep
going.
