DAY 91: Lists

I'm a firm believer in making lists. Well, to be more precise, not just making them and forgetting about them - making them and ticking them off as you achieve each goal on that list.

I've been making lists for a while now. Not just grocery lists, although they can very helpful as I am prone to stocking up on items unnecessarily because somewhere in my puny head, there's a voice saying "We need more carrots" when there is enough in my fridge to put the Fred Hollows Foundation out of business. (Go look up Fred Hollows and read about this exemplary Australian - he's passed away now but his foundation lives on).

Anyway, I find making lists handy and helpful. I make them in three categories, mainly. The short-term goals which are things I want to achieve within the next 12 months. The medium-term goals are the things I want to achieve within the next 5 years and the long-term goals are things that I want to tick off on my death-bed as having being done! TICK!

The BEST thing about goals is revisiting them at regular intervals to make sure that you're on track and, if not, then what you need to do to get back on track. I actually have my goals in an Excel spreadsheet with 3 monthly interval  columns that I complete to show progress....or what I've done to make progress.

My goals are also divided up into several categories (Has she got way too much time on her hands?, I hear you ask yourself? Quite the contrary hence the need to make lists). So, these categories are divided up into Career, Family, Personal, Health, Financial and Community (because it's NOT always all about you, you know!!)

What do I get out of this? I enjoy - genuinely enjoy - ticking off the things I have promised myself I would do. Not all of them are pleasant or easy. In fact, the more unpleasant and difficult they are, the better the sense of fulfilment and achievement I have. It's like I've licked the beast and I've shown them who's boss.

It's also an amazing tool to help build your own self-concept and your self-esteem. It's the proverbial mirror that you hold up to yourself and there's nothing quite like some positive monologues to help keep you happy and positive and moving forward.

It's proof, isn't it? It's proof that what you set out to achieve can actually be achieved ....by none other than YOU!!