Small victories made every day add up overtime, and before you know it people start treating you differently. All of a sudden success comes knocking on your door and people you never met before want to take pictures with you.

The important piece is to progress incrementally every day towards your goal. The most effective way to do that is to create a to-do list every morning that consists of 3 to 5 goals or victories that you want to accomplish that very day.

 

Do or die, no excuses

Make that list your life and soul. Accomplish all the goals without excuses. Do not rationalize or feel pity for yourself. Whip yourself to finish that list. Don’t rest, don’t relax and don’t reward yourself with TV time till you finish that darn list.

If you do this one thing, you can accomplish several things. You don’t need to improvise strategies for time management, laziness and procrastination.

Just stick to the to-do list and don’t let it carry forward to the next day.

 

 

Make it a habit to win

Time is the most valuable currency that you have whether you want to trade it for money or love. The to-do list gives you a sense of urgency so that you can use your time most effectively.

I am sure you can attest for the satisfaction of checking a task off your list. Our brain is wired to feel gratified when we complete goals. So writing it down (or typing) and then checking off your victories as you go through your day is a sure way to get more done and feel accomplished.

Every checked task will inspire to keep going and continue winning.

Turn this into a habit till it becomes an addiction. Your urge for checking off tasks from a list will get you thinking about prioritizing your day to meet the demands of your list.

You will watch far less reality TV, waste a lot less time on Facebook and naturally get more done than your peers. Soon you will be light years ahead of them and they will be taking advice from you on how to be successful.

 

Power your dream with deadlines

Your determination to complete your list everyday will determine your probability of having a wildly successful life.  Now, I say probability because it also matters what kind of tasks you put in to your list.

A grocery list is very different from a to-do list that leads you to your dream. You don’t need to be strategic or follow a pattern with your grocery list. But a to-do list needs to be carefully crafted with a clear cut goal in mind.

So carefully take the time to set a vision, a dream, a life goal. Be specific about exactly what you want to accomplish and when.

Example: I am going to lose 10 pounds by June 21st. (Unlike “I want to lose weight”).

plan

 

Break down your dream in to milestones

Create a compelling vision that excites you. It should be something that pulls you, not something you are pushed to do. Push takes will power and will power rarely lasts (think of New Year’s resolutions).

Then write down that list of things you need to accomplish in the short term, mid-term and long term to achieve your well defined, measurable goal. This is your master list.

Now break down those tasks from the master list in to smaller tasks and add them to your daily to-do list and follow through every day. Every day!!

Conclusion

Most successful people I know follow a task list or to-do list that they update every day. That makes them a better manager, a better parent and a wholesome person that everyone respects.

So what are you waiting for? Go build your dream one to-do list a day!