This week a client reminded me of something I told her
several months back: Life lived to the fullest is always
based on what I call "The Four Lists".
The Four Lists are the guide-posts to success. They are the
foundation for achievement, peace of mind, and personal
satisfaction. It's simple, really. So simple that we tend
to forget them and in our desire for something more
complicated, we often miss the oldest trick in the book.
Success and "The Good Life" are based on The Four Lists.
List 1: Your Core Values. Knowing what you believe, what
you value, what you stand for, is essential. Your values are
your compass. They are the touchstone against which
everything else is measured.
There are hundreds of values that compete for your
attention, and it is vital to know which ones you have
consciously chosen to be at the center of your life. If you
aren’t clear what you stand for, you'll wander forever, lost
in a world of endless choices and spur-of-the-moment decisions.
As a result, your chances for long-term success are greatly
diminished.
Among others, my own short list of primary values includes
integrity, loyalty, and "putting in before you take out." I
value persistence, consistency and reliability. Curiosity
and creativity are high on my list. Encouraging people to
fulfill their potential and pursue their dreams are the
core of who I am as a person.
What's on your list? Have you written it down? Have you
reviewed it with loved ones, and up-dated it recently?
Knowing your Core Values is List One.
List 2: Your Goals and Priorities. Where are you going and
what are you doing with your wonderful life? What are your
5- and 10-year priorities? What are the big pieces that get
your time and your best efforts?
Have you written your goals down, and shared the list with
your partners, family and friends? Have you reviewed it
recently and up-dated it at least once a year? Do you know
why you're working so hard and how you'll measure success
ten years from now? Write your Major Goals down! List #2 is
essential.
List 3: Your Current Projects. Do you have a spring
campaign, or a 6-week project? Highly successful people know
their priorities and they work on them every day. They have
30-day targets, and quarterly deadlines. They have a list of
items to be completed by the end of the month. What are you
working on? How much progress will you make by 5:00 P.M.
Friday afternoon?
Highly successful people always work from a written list of
short-term projects. They always know the next step, the
most important piece of the puzzle, and they don't waste
time. What's on your list of projects?
List 4: Your Daily Musts. High achievers know their daily
actions in advance. They plan their days, and they know the
things that "must" be done each and every day. They have a
written list of their "Daily Five" or "Power 8" that may
include things like exercise, meditation or prayer, time to
plan, and other daily actions to create the life they truly
want. My personal list includes time to read, and contacting
a colleague or loved one to touch base, every day.
What's on your "Daily List?" Take care of yourself. Have
some fun, live well, move forward every day! Do the things
that create and build the life you really want, and do them
every single day.
These are the four lists that make life worthwhile. They are
the lists that high achievers keep close to their hearts and
on top of their desks. They are the lists that guide their
actions and inform their efforts. They may be written on
simple note paper, but they are fundamental to creating and
living the life your truly want. What's on your lists?
Quotes of the Week
"If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you
want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never
give up." -- Norman Vincent Peale
"Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and
reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." -- Belva Davis
"When you follow your bliss doors will open where you would
not have thought there would be doors; and where there
wouldn't be a door for anyone else." -- Joseph Campbell
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the
things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So
throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain
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