Wild plumbs are pretty tasteless.
10 Lists to Keep If You Want to Be Successful
Djordje Todorovic
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 unrivalled 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
“What you get by achieving
your goals is not as important as
what you become by achieving
your goals.” —Zig Ziglar
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
“Wishing to be friends is
quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.”
—Aristotle
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 skilful, 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 to 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 a 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 Useful Tools
“If you’re the type of
person who has to fulfil your dreams,
you’ve got to be resourceful
to make sure you can do it.”
—Vin Diesel
Today’s society vastly
depends on the use of technology—we exchange information,
conduct calculations,
measure time, etc. This level of reliability also suggests liability.
If something were to happen
to our cell phone or personal computer,
it would be a sizable
setback that could harm our capabilities severely.
As mentioned, losing
contacts can truly be troublesome.
It is even worse however, to
have your life’s work lost and compromised.
Useful tools are not only
limited to recovering damage; they also encompass tools
that make your job easier.
With efficiency and a greater level of competence,
you are a step closer toward
success. Using the right apps and tools can make up for our lack
of skills in a particular
area, or simply help us manage our work in a more timely manner.
Keeping a list of useful
tools will come in handy whenever you are faced with
more common problems, like
finding a good restaurant for a business dinner,
driving through unfamiliar
terrain, task management, learning,
and there are even tools
capable of helping you recover stolen property.
Even though the list is not
as crucial as the ones mentioned so far, it is undeniable
that having it can save you
a lot of time if the need for it ever arises. The Internet is a vast sea
of both useful and useless
tools, and by filtering out those that are irrelevant, you won’t
have to conduct countless
searches when you are in need of adequate tools for problem solving.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. List of Future Plans
“The future is uncertain but
the end is always near.”
―Jim Morrison
We have all heard statements
like “Tomorrow is a mystery,” “Live for today,”
and “You can’t affect the
future.” Personally, I heavily disagree with such a point of view.
Although I
do agree that, in particular circumstances, making plans for the future
is doing Sisyphus work, not
planning it at all seems utterly mortifying. I also believe that everyone makes
some sort of plan; the problem is this fear of uncertainty that thwarts our
will to act.
To make your resolve more
adamant, compile a list of your future plans, see what you need
in order to make them come
true. This one is very similar to the first list—the one with goals;
the difference is, it does
not have to involve your personal future.
Rather, it is list of
upcoming important events, important changes in law, or upcoming trends, useful
software, etc. It will keep you well-informed and prepared,
since staying updated and
relevant are essential virtues for lucrative businessmen.
9. List of Contingency Plans
“You pray for rain, you
gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.”
—Denzel Washington
Every action has an equal
and opposite reaction, meaning there is nothing you can do
without consequences. Every
attempt to be more successful usually has a set of barriers
attached to it, or risks.
Even though risks are inevitable, being prepared for the aftermath
is always a good and
necessary thing. When you plan your business incentives,
or when you plan to
invest in something, make sure you compose a thorough pros and cons list,
as well as a list of possible
negative scenarios. In the event that positive aspects
outweigh the negative ones,
you can be more encouraged to proceed further.
Make an effort to be
constantly prepared for the backlash of major initiatives,
and contain the possible
damage. The lack of contingency implies recklessness,
and it was adamantly made
clear how this approach contradicts advancement.
Make leaps of faith only
when you have no other options to explore.
10. Bucket List
“The bitterest tears shed
over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.”
—Harriet Beecher Stowe
Finally, learn to live for
the sake of experiencing what life has to offer.
It is invigorating, to say
the least, and it keeps your regrets at minimum. One of the reasons
why we want to be successful
is to actually fulfil our dreams or complete our bucket list,
to look back on our life
during old age with a warm smile rather than a frown. Feel free to put even the
impossible things on your bucket list, and find the next best thing using your
creativity. Whenever you reach a rough patch in your life, take a look at you
bucket list
and see what is the most
plausible thing to do in order to restore your will power and keep going.
http://www.lifehack.org/283462/10-lists-keep-you-want-successful
You can TCR software and engineering manuals for spontaneous recall – or pass that exam.
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Perhaps
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Personal business
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just for fun.
To quote the
Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more
that you learn; the more places you'll go.”
