Lists are everywhere and are essential to reaching goals. Strong meeting agendas are goal-oriented lists. You’re more focused on priorities when you use a to-do list. Your appointment calendar keeps you on schedule. So why do we always feel like we’re falling behind and frustrated by unaccomplished tasks? Maybe what you need is a “to-be” list.
A to-be list is an answer to your frustration over unfinished tasks. Essentially, it’s your personal mission statement, your guiding principles. You can say in a simple sentence or two the most significant things that you strive for. Your statements might be: “To give my family a sense of security and love while providing a good life for them” or “To live a good healthy life, enjoying family and friends” or “To be recognized as successful in my field of endeavor.” These are the statements that motivate your actions. When you can articulate what you want to be, prioritizing and accomplishing the to-do list becomes a lot easier.
Creating a to-be list doesn’t require anything more than some paper, a pen and a quiet place without distractions. Start by thinking about what you want out of life. What makes you happy? What excites you? What, deep down in your heart, would you like to accomplish? You may come to realize that accumulating wealth is not your true desire, but rather being a good family member, an active volunteer in your community, or a better spouse or parent. Decide what your true value is, what it is you stand for.
Take your thoughts and put them in succinct, simple sentences. Use the salesman’s acronym KISS — Keep it simple, Sam. Use these statements to help you prioritize tasks and make decisions. Look at your to-do list and see if the items are in sync with your to-be list. Do they help you accomplish your overall mission? Go back and examine your statements. Let them guide you as you prioritize your daily decisions. They can also help you make the more complicated decisions of life.
With a personal mission statement, the to-dos in life become a backup for enhancing and accomplishing the to-be statement. Some tasks will still bother you, but you’ll understand better why you’re doing them.
As companies grow and teams gather to accomplish tasks, it is important to remember that individuals make things happen. When we strive for the basics, great things happen. Establish what your core values are. What do they look like? Define them, stating them in a succinct statement. Practice being true to yourself, concentrating on those tasks that afford the most satisfaction when accomplished. When we know where we are headed, a great deal can be accomplished.
Back to Hedria's Articles Index page
Hedria Consulting
PO Box 25467,
Rochester, New York 14625
585-586-5710
hedria@hedria.com
Comments