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: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: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 yo 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 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 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.
6. 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.
Written by Djordje Todorovic
Djordje Todorovic is a creative writer at
MyCity Web,
and a linguist, with a degree from the English Language and Literature
department. I love science fiction, epic fiction and horror movies, TV
series, books and comic books. I am also a fan of video games, board
games and trading card games.
