We understand the value of lists, but do we really use them to our best advantage? Is your life complicated? Lists can uncomplicated it and give it more structure. Is it uncomplicated? A list can give you direction in where you want to go in life. Is your life controlled externally, making you feel like your days are dictated by the urgencies of others or circumstances? Make a list.
There are lots of different kinds of lists:
- The To-Do List
- The Christmas List
- The Wish List
- The Shopping List
- The Goals List
- The Procedures List
- The Master List
What got me to thinking about lists were a couple of things:
- During the week, I work my 8-hour shift, eat dinner, and go to the gym. Needless to say, my place blows up through the course of the week and I am left with lots of cleaning and organizing through the weekend.
- Two things I need to make a priority to do each day is going to the gym and sending out resumes for promotional positions.
This would consist of a list for each day.
- Create lists of goals.
- Break those goals down into their respective tasks of what it takes to achieve them.
- Incorporate a task from each important goal into the list for each respective day.
Doing something small each day removes it from being a large task later on.
Here would be an example of my Monday:
7:00am – 7:30am: Get ready for work, eat breakfast, pack a lunch.
Breakfast choices: Egg and toast, fruit, or oatmeal.
Lunch: Turkey sandwich, salad.
Snacks: Fruit, vegetables, and / or yogurt.
7:30am – 8:00am: Off to work, pick up coffee on the way.
8:00am – 4:30pm: (A task list would be created for the priorities of what I need to do that day.)
10:00am: Snack
12:00pm: Lunch
3:00pm: Snack
4:30pm – 5:00pm: Leave work, go home and make dinner.
Dinner: Chicken or Salmon and salad.
6:00pm – 6:30pm: Clean kitchen (I would pick a different room for each day) and get ready for the gym.
6:30pm – 7:00pm: Off to gym.
7:00pm – 10:00pm: Upper body workout: 1 hour on the elliptical, 1 hour on the cycle, 250 crunches, 50 push-ups, 3 machines consisting of 4 sets with 20 reps, and yoga.
10:00pm – 10:30pm: Go home and take a nice shower.
10:30pm – 11:00pm: Put together one resume to send out in the mail the next day.
As you can see, from 7:00am to 5:00pm and the end of the day would be pretty consistent. If I workout 2 days on and 1 day off, that would give me Wednesdays to run an errand during that time, write on here, get in some reading time, or go out with friends or family. My weekends would have room to go to the lake, ride my motorcycle, go to a museum or gallery, have coffee with a friend, have a spa day, or do absolutely nothing. I will be accomplishing all the things that are important to reaching my goals without making me feel like I don’t get a day off to just relax. Those days are important too.
So start creating your lists.
Create a list for:
- Work
- Family
- Home
- Social
- Community
- Spiritual
- Health / Fitness
- Educational
- Fun
You will be amazed at the progress you make in only a couple of months, how much you will rediscover and nurture you, and how much more joy you will bring into your life by living more consciously. You will still have time for the spontaneous, probably more time by living your life with purpose and on purpose.
No related posts.
Hi Layne,
This is a great post!! I love how much detail you put in the lists! The more detail we have the more clarity we'll have on what we need to do and the higher our chances of success. Love it!
I'm definitely going to subscribe to your RSS Feed!
Kudos to you, your Monday looks like a full day and I’m sure the list helps keep you on track to reach those goals you have set for yourself. I’m off to go make my list…