Tutorial Tuesdays: How to Get Things Done with a "Steps to Success" List
In Greek mythology, there's a king named Sisyphus that performs the arduous task of rolling up a boulder up a hill everyday, but right before he reaches the top, the boulder would fall back down. The next day, he would have to repeat the task again...and again..and again...everyday for all of eternity. That used to be the kind of my relationship I have with To-Do lists. It just seemed never ending. No matter how important the task was, it just felt like one extra boulder, one extra chore. After awhile, the to-do list became the "procrastination list," and procrastination is mother of anxiety, stress, and in many cases, insomnia.
I had to change strategies. I've come to terms with the fact that list are important. If I don't write things down, it doesn't happen. So I created a different kind of list: a weekly, purpose driven list called the "Steps to Success" list.It's basically a to-do list, but the mindset is different. It reminds me that "if I perform these important tasks" then success is one step closer. "If I call or write these people," success is one step closer. When I'm reminded that the option besides success is failure, I actually do the work, and this list motivates me.Since it's worked for me, and I want to share it with you. Maybe it'll work for you too, but maybe it won't. My hope is that it does.
I recommend only putting down your most important tasks on there, so that you're not overwhelmed. For me, if I've completed my most important task of the week, that's usually a win for me. It feels really good clicking the "yes" button at the end of the week.(Want more helpful posts like this? Subscribe to my blog on the right column and never miss a post.)For more inspiration, read Chris Guillebeau's blog on "How to Ensure You'll Do Anything".
Tutorial Line-Ups for the Next Few Tuesdays:
