As you may know I’m a huge fan of making lists. I like to write down everything from my list of daily tasks to my list of long term goals. Seeing all the things I have to do on paper right in front of my eyes gives me a sense of calm when my mind is chaotically running with all the things I have to get done.
I like to write down my thoughts, I have several journals at home to write down my ideas and thoughts. I also have a horrible memory so if I don’t write things down I will completely forget them five minutes later. Writing down lists to organize my life in an agenda is no different than organizing my thoughts in a journal. I also like making lists because crossing tasks off the list gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Do you love making lists? Here are 4 lists I’m working on right now.
1. My daily things to do. I have an agenda at my home where I plan my week with movie dates, freelance deadlines, volunteering activities and travel plans. I also have another agenda at the office where I write down everything that I need to get done each day. I also have a calendar on the wall in my bedroom where I write down other little important things such as weight loss goals.
2. Vacations for the year. I love travelling. I absolutely love it. I try to take two vacations each year (if my budget allows it) and as many road trips as I can. I love escaping from my routine life and I love waking up in new cities. Writing down all my travel plans on a calendar gives me something to look forward to. Planning my vacations takes my mind off all the stress and drama or daily life. When I’m having a bad day I like to plan my vacation from travel accommodation to shopping lists because it makes me smile.
3. Your budget. Life is about money if it’s not about anything else. You won’t be able to go on vacation or out to dinner with friends if you don’t plan your income and expenses. Whether we admit it or not our days start and end with money. We wake up and go to work to make money and we come home at night to relax in our home which costs moneys. Living a life around money doesn’t make us superficial, it just makes us practical. Everyone budgets different, some people daily, some weekly, some biweekly and some monthly. Regardless of how you manage your money we should all know when money is coming in and where it’s going when we spend it.
4. Long term goals. This comes back to having something to work towards. Long term goals can be anything from major vacation plans to career goals. It’s a long term goal that creates short term goals such as savings goals or learning a new skill set. Think about where you want to be in two years, in five years. Maybe your goal is to move to a new city, maybe you want to go back to school or maybe you want to change careers. Write down your long term goals then write down a list of all the things you need to get done in the short term to achieve your long term goal.
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